A/N: Yes, I know, it feels like forever since I updated this fic. I kinda took a little break for a while there, but hey, back now, all good :) Glad y'all seemed to approve of Jack/Jaime in the previous piece. Now, I think what this series needs is a dose of Luke ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

10. Father Figure - 26th December 2006

Lorelai had tried her best to keep Luke from opening the diner the day after Christmas. As much as she was looking forward to the birth of their son when Spring rolled around, she was well aware that things would be so very different by next year. This Christmas had been so special, seeing Jack's wide eyes at the sight of the tree and the brightly wrapped presents. He wasn't even a year old yet, so he couldn't understand Santa and all of that, but it was still amazing to see his reaction to everything the festivities entailed. Next year, Lorelai and Luke would have a son of their own to share it with, and that was great, but she had hoped to spend as much time as she could being alone with Luke this year, aware as she was that there would be little of that when their child came along.

Luke would not give in. He closed his business for the latter part of Christmas Eve and all of Christmas Day but now he needed to be open again. People had to eat, he said. To be honest, Lorelai wasn't surprised at his attitude, and yet it was perhaps a little overly much even for Luke. He could always be difficult, grumpy, snappy even, Lorelai was used to that. Some days it was just things getting on top of him or a lack of sleep or whatever, but sometimes, there was a deeper reason behind his bad mood. Lately, every time someone mentioned the upcoming happy event, Luke seemed to growl and stomp, or just remove himself from the situation altogether.

"And it bothers me," she told Rory over the phone. "Maybe it shouldn't, maybe I'm just being hormonal and super-sensitive, I don't know, but it's like... It's like Luke doesn't even want this baby anymore."

"Oh, Mom, no," Rory insisted. "Luke loves you, and he was so thrilled when you told him you were pregnant. There's no way he's changed his mind about this family."

"I know, I know," Lorelai agreed. "At least, I think I know, but then Luke gets all weird about things. I wish he would talk to me, but you know those Danes men. Not exactly the chatty type."

"Tell me about it," said Rory, knowing her man was just the same. "Did you ask the right question? That can be important. 'What's wrong?' never works with Jess, I have to be more specific."

"You want me to ask Luke if he doesn't want our baby?"

"That might be a little too direct," Rory considered. "I wish I could help more, Mom, I really do."

"It's okay, sweets. You have enough to deal with already," she said, smiling as she heard Jack making noise. "He hungry or something?"

"Or something," Rory confirmed. "I think it's diaper changing time again."

"I'll let you go deal with that," said Lorelai. "And I guess I need to figure out what's up with my husband, if he'll even talk to me."

"Hey, how about I ask Jess to see if he can find out what's up?" said Rory then, raising her voice to be heard over Jack's fussing. "Those two do at least seem up for sharing with each other when the mood takes them."

"It could be worth a shot," Lorelai considered. "But I don't want to put Jess in a spot."

Rory almost make a joke about her mom not wanting to do anything to make Jess feel awkward after all those times when she would happily have strung him up by parts unmentionable, but now wasn't the time.

"We'll see what we can do," she promised instead, before apologising again and hanging up the phone.

Lorelai put the phone back in the cradle and let out a heavy sigh. She wasn't sure what to do now. Hopefully, Rory was right and Jess would be able to find out what was wrong with Luke. It was bothering her a lot at this point and she just couldn't get a word out of him.

"I know Daddy loves you," she said, her hand on her bump. "I know he loves me too, but something is freaking him out. Maybe Jess can help," she considered, before making a face. "These are words Mommy never thought she'd be saying, I can tell you that much, kid."

There was something up with Luke. Jess had noticed it over the last few days and never more so than yesterday when the two of them plus Rory, Jack, and Lorelai, spent a large part of Christmas Day together. He wondered if he was the only one to notice it and hadn't asked Rory if she had because he didn't like to worry her. Now he knew for sure that whilst she hadn't really paid any mind to Luke's new attitude, Lorelai definitely had.

"You don't think he's going to leave my mom, do you?" Rory had asked, looking more freaked out than Jess had seen her in a while.

"No way," he assured her honestly. "Luke has been in love with Lorelai longer than I've even known you, and we both know it. I don't know what his problem is, but it's not that."

Of course, that didn't mean that Jess had a clue what the actual issue was with Luke until he asked. He had an idea it had a lot to do with the baby though. As he worked alongside Luke in the diner today, he noticed the way his uncle flinched when people mentioned his journey into fatherhood, both via his unborn son and the daughter he discovered almost a year ago now. It didn't matter if they compared him to his own dad or just told him it was wonderful to see him being such a family man, he just squirmed and then got real snappy and extra grumpy. Eventually Jess couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey, Luke. I gotta talk to you," he said, giving his uncle no choice as he disappeared behind the curtain and up the stairs.

The diner was quiet, and Caesar could cope just for a few minutes, they both knew that. Yelling to the cook that they wouldn't be long, Luke followed Jess upstairs.

"What's on your mind, Jess?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"Really? That was going to be my line," his nephew countered, folding his arms across his chest. "Something is going on with you Luke, and as much as I hate having to be the one to get you to talk about your feelings or whatever, I don't think I have much of a choice."

"I gotta get back to work," said Luke, rolling his eyes and turning towards the door.

Jess moved fast, cutting in front of him and blocking the exit.

"Move."

"How about no?" Jess countered. "Luke, seriously, man, you gotta talk to me."

"Oh, I do? And why is that?" he asked, mirroring his nephew's stance, arms folded, face stern.

"Because you won't talk to Lorelai and you're scaring the hell out of her and Rory."

Those words took the wind completely out of Luke's sails, as Jess knew they would. It was exactly what he intended, because apparently subtle wasn't cutting it, not even Lorelai's brand of subtle which was equivalent to a flying brick.

Jess watched Luke's face collapse, his hand coming up to adjust his hat and rub his forehead. He knew what the problem was, he knew exactly what Jess was asking him, he just didn't want to admit it.

"All those times when I had problems and I never told you," said Jess, watching his uncle pace and sigh. "Liz, Jimmy, Rory, high school, Wal-Mart, Jack. I kept so much stuff to myself when all you wanted to do was help me. Now the shoe is on the other foot. Talk to me, Luke. Please."

This wasn't easy for him, and Jess knew it. He knew because they were very much the same when it came to saying what they felt or talking about what was on their mind. It didn't come naturally, but sometimes it was necessary to just let it out, or you ended up hurting too many people that you loved.

"I'm... terrified."

He wasn't looking at Jess when he said it, and when he finally did, there was shock on his nephew's face that Luke hadn't quite expected.

"You're terrified," Jess echoed eventually. "You, Luke Danes, are scared of... of what?" he checked. "Being happy? Having a wife you love and a kid you always wanted?"

"No." Luke rolled his eyes. "Or, maybe?" he admitted then. "I can't... What do I know about being a father, Jess?" he asked him in earnest. "I mean, sure I tried to be there for Rory, but Lorelai did all the real parenting, because she was the parent. April just showed up a year ago, I never raised her either. I tried with you when you moved here but... I'm not a father, Jess, I don't know how to be."

Jess was astounded. He watched Luke wander over to the table and sink down into a chair with his head in hands, and he was just astounded. How Luke could think he wasn't cut out to be a father, Jess just couldn't figure. It was actually crazy, like certifiably insane.

"Huh," he said, unable to find any actual words to say.

Eventually, when his brain managed to unscramble the madness that was Luke thinking he couldn't parent, he said all he could to reassure the man who had always been there for him when nobody else ever was.

"You really have no idea, do you?" he said, getting Luke's attention in a second. "You know I never had a father. Jimmy is... He's cool, we get along, whatever, but it's not like having a dad. Lizzie, she brought home guys, married some of them, but they didn't really care about me, not most of them. Even the ones that did, they never lasted. Then you brought me here. I hated that. Hated being away from the people and places I knew. Planned on making your life hell because that was what I thought you were doing to mine."

"Congratulations, you did a pretty good job for a while there," said Luke, rolling his eyes.

"I know." Jess smirked wickedly. "But the point is, you never gave up. You never, ever did."

"Until I threw you out." Luke sighed.

"Oh, come on! Even I know I deserved that," said Jess honestly. "I screwed up, Luke, more times than I can count, and then I came back here with Rory and you had to deal with the fact we were having a baby. You stood by me, both of us actually, and you were great. Jack loves you. April thinks you're the best thing since the microscope. Why in hell would you think you can't be a father? You already are, to all of us. Especially me, whether you like it or not."

His voice started disappearing by the end of his speech and Jess started to feel just a little stupid and oddly emotional. Seeing the smile on his uncle's face sure wasn't helping any, but he was glad there was a happy expression in place of the uneasy frown and panic now. Eventually, Luke shook his head and sighed.

"You don't... That means a lot to me, Jess."

"Yeah, well," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "You mean a lot to me, and to Rory and Jack, and especially to Lorelai right now. Plus you're gonna mean everything to that kid you're gonna have soon. C'mon, man, if I can take care of a baby, how hard can it be?"

He was smirking when he said it, making jokes now because it was much easier than all the serious emotional crap that came before. Luke was smiling again, almost laughing actually. Jess had helped, that was all he needed to know.

"You're better at being part of a family than you think," said Luke, nodding once. "A whole lot better than either of us thought you were going to be a few years back."

"Had to learn," said Jess easily.

Luke nodded, knowing his nephew had made just one more good point to add to the pile. He had experience of being a father figure if not an actual father so far, and Luke supposed he did an okay job. Besides, Jess and Rory were coping and they were so young and inexperienced, plus Lorelai was there to help them all. She knew what she was doing. As much as he claimed to be out of his depth sometimes, Luke suspected Jess knew more of what he was doing in life than it sometimes appeared. He sure seemed to know today.

"Thanks, Jess," said Luke then. "Seriously."

"No problem," his nephew confirmed. "Now we should probably get back down there," he said, gesturing to the door and the stairs beyond.

Luke agreed, nodding his head and following Jess back to the diner. At least now he was wearing a smile instead of a frown. It was a pleasant view for Lorelai who was sat at the counter waiting on the guys.

"Hey," she greeted them with a grin.

"Hey, beautiful lady," said Luke, coming over to kiss her hello. "And hey, little man," he said to her belly, planting a kiss there too.

He rarely did that kind of thing outside of their house so Lorelai was surprised. She was also thrilled too.

"Aaaw, look at the two of you," said Babette, grinning wide. "Or should I say three of you. Oh, sugars, you're gonna be the most adorable little family!"

"Thank you, Babette. I can't disagree with you on that," said Luke happily. "I'm going to be the best father I know how to be."

"And you'll be terrific, Luke. Just terrific!" Babette confirmed. "You both will."

"I hope so," said Lorelai, wondering at her husband's transformation but loving it nonetheless.

"I know so," he promised her, kissing her lips one more time.

Behind the counter, Jess watched the couple together and smiled. He could understand why Luke had been worried. He had dealt with older kids and teenagers, some times better than others, but babies were a whole other ballgame. Still, Luke was learning some from interacting with Jack and he would pick up the rest as he went along with his own son. Jess was sure he could do it, Luke just needed someone to do for him what he so often did for everyone else - show a little faith and support.

"What did you do?" Lorelai asked Jess the moment Luke disappeared into the kitchen.

For a change, she was asking with a happy, grateful expression, instead of the accusatory one he had grown to accustomed to in the past.

"Not much," he told her, shrugging his shoulders. "He was just having first time father jitters or whatever. I get it, I've been there."

"You're doing a great job, Jess," Lorelai assured him. "And believe me, I never saw that coming!" she teased him.

"Thanks," he said, smiling at her back-handed compliment. "Luke will be fine too, probably even better than me. He's had practice with older kids, it's just the baby thing that's freaking him out a little bit. He'll be okay."

"I hope so."

Lorelai was momentarily worried again until she saw Luke emerging from the back with her breakfast, wearing a wide smile. She was pretty sure it was a genuine look, and even if it wasn't, he was trying. He wanted to be the best he could be and worried that wouldn't be good enough. If she could just reassure him, the way Jess had done, she was sure it would all be fine. At least he still loved her and their baby. She could stop worrying now.