I have to send a HUGE thank you out to all of your kind reviews. I am so glad that you are all still enjoying this story! It's back to school for me this week, which means I have to focus on teaching kids to write instead of writing myself, but there's still a lot more to tell in this story, so don't give up on it yet!
Lorelai smiled as she carried two beers across the bar, setting one down in front of Luke before she slid into the seat beside him. "Happy birthday," she said, tapping her glass against his before taking a sip.
"Thank you," he said with a nod, sipping at his own beer.
"So, how has your day been?" Lorelai asked, leaning forward in her seat.
"Well, aside from being woken up in the middle of the night, pretty good," Luke consented.
Lorelai frowned. "I had to wish you a happy birthday at the exact moment you were born," she replied. "If you didn't like it, you shouldn't have been born at 1:12 in the morning."
"So it's my fault," Luke stated.
She shrugged. "You know, most men wouldn't complain about being woken up by a beautiful woman," she informed him. "Especially after what happened around 1:20."
"Okay, I take it back," Luke conceded. "You can wake me up in the middle of the night any time if that is included."
She giggled. "Nope, that's reserved for special occasions," she said. "But hey, get a few more of these in me and we can have a repeat performance."
"Drink mine," Luke held his glass out to her.
She laughed and pushed his hand away. "Take your time, Cool Hand, we're celebrating," she said.
"I hate birthdays," he reminded her.
"I know, but I'm going to celebrate anyways," Lorelai said. "Because if you hadn't been born I'd be a bored lonely spinster, and that would be tragic."
He sighed as he took a sip of beer and looked at her carefully. "It would be," he nodded. "Especially since I am very familiar with your…not spinster talents."
She blushed and looked down at her beer. "Only for you," she shrugged.
"I know."
They were quiet for a moment before Lorelai said, "Would you have picked me up in a bar? If we'd spotted each other from across the room way back when?"
"That was never really my thing," Luke shrugged.
"Really?" Lorelai asked.
"No," Luke shook his head. "Why, were you into strangers at the bar?"
"Well, Rory made the who bar thing a little tricky," Lorelai said. "I had fun, but it was mostly with friends, and I always knew I had to get home to her."
Luke looked at her carefully before he said, "I think I would have made an exception for you."
Her eyes began to sparkle. "An exception, huh?" she asked.
He took a long sip of his beer. "It would have been stupid of me not to," he said honestly.
Lorelai stared at him before she finished her beer and stood. "So do it now," she said.
"What?" he narrowed his eyes at her.
"I'm just going to go powder my nose," she said, leaning down to him. "And while I'm doing that…if you see a girl at the bar you simply cannot resist, I'll give you permission to talk to her."
Luke frowned for a moment before realization swept over him. "Okay," he said. "Maybe I will."
"Good," Lorelai breathed into his ear before she sauntered back to the bar, swinging her hips a little more than usual for his viewing pleasure.
Luke swallowed hard as he watched her, feeling the alcohol he'd consumed at dinner and just now beginning to catch up with him. Normally he didn't allow himself to get sucked into Lorelai's schemes, but there was something intriguing about this one. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was how alluring she looked as she leaned over the bar to order another drink, or maybe he was starting to let her craziness rub off on him. Whatever the reason, he knew that he wanted to have her soon.
With one last tip of his head, he finished his beer and made his way to the bar where she was sipping at another drink, looking around the bar and pointedly ignoring him as he approached. He pushed his way through the crowd to stand beside her and ordered another beer, doing his best to ignore the heat he could feel radiating from her body.
After he'd received his beer and took a sip, he glanced casually at Lorelai and commented, "Busy night, huh?"
Lorelai glanced at him, clearly not impressed. "Sure," she said.
"You come here a lot?" he asked, trying to figure out her strategy.
She shrugged. "I was here to sing karaoke once," she commented.
He narrowed his eyes, knowing that she was playing dirty, and decided to even the playing field. Taking a sip of beer, he nodded towards her left hand. "You here with someone?" he asked.
A sparkle started to form in Lorelai's eyes and she sighed dramatically. "Nope, I'm here all by my lonesome," she said, angling her body towards him.
"Well, that's a shame," he murmured, edging closer to her.
"And why would that be?" she asked, meeting his gaze evenly.
"To start, you're much too beautiful to be standing at the bar by yourself," Luke said, his voice low. "Someone might try to take advantage of you."
"So do you plan to do anything about that?" she asked evenly.
He ducked his head down to hers and whispered, "Come sit with me and I'll let you know."
Surprise and delight registered across Lorelai's face before she cleared her throat. "How do I know you won't take advantage of me?" she asked.
Luke took a sip of beer and leaned back slightly. "You don't," he said huskily before he brushed a hand over her arm and turned towards an empty table in the corner.
He could feel Lorelai's gaze on him as he walked, and it took everything in him not to turn and look at her. As he slid into a seat at the table, he glanced around the bar, purposely trying to avoid looking at her to keep up the pretense of mystery.
"So," she said, sliding into the seat beside him. "Would it be taking advantage if I wanted it to happen?"
Luke raised his eyebrows and took a sip of his beer. "That's awfully presumptive," he told her. "I'm just a guy, here to celebrate."
"Celebrate?" Lorelai asked curiously. She scooted closer until her face was inches from his. "And what are we celebrating?"
He leaned closer and murmured, "It just happens to be my birthday."
"Well, you're the birthday boy, are you?" Lorelai breathed, her breath hot in his ear. "I happen to known an excellent way to celebrate birthdays."
He nearly choked on his beer when he felt Lorelai's hand on his thigh, her thumb rubbing gently over the seam of his jeans. "I'm listening," he murmured.
"Well," Lorelai sighed deeply. "It's a little hard. And long."
Luke swallowed hard as he felt himself fighting for control. His head was starting to cloud, a mixture of Lorelai and alcohol, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up this game they were playing.
"We could go back to my place," she breathed, sliding her hand north. Her breathing was becoming quicker, and when he glanced at her he could see her flushed face. She was just as turned on as he was.
With a final gulp, Luke drained the last of his beer and turned to her. "Lead the way."
She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes a dark stormy blue, and he suddenly wondered how they would even make it back to the house without giving into their desires.
Fifteen minutes later they stumbled through the front door in a mix of tangled limbs, each fighting for control of the situation. As Lorelai shoved his jacket over his shoulders Luke pushed her against the closed door, his lips pressing hot kisses to her neck. "You have no idea what you do to me," he murmured against her skin.
Lorelai gasped, then pulled her face back up to his, kissing him deeply. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pushed him forward with her body, pressing him against the railing of the stairs. "Oh god," she breathed as she broke the kiss and leaned her head back slightly. "Luke…"
Knowing they weren't going to make it upstairs, Luke tugged the zipper of her dress down and pushed the material over her body without abandon. She in turn took a handful of flannel and frowned down at the buttons. "I keep telling you to stop wearing these," she said breathlessly. "They take way too long to get off."
He smirked down at her. "Then get to work," he shot back.
Lorelai raised her eyebrows and turned away from him, walking towards the couch. She stripped off her bra as she did so, her panties quickly following. As she lay down on the couch, she met his gaze evenly and murmured huskily, "Ask and you shall receive."
Luke's eyes widened as he watched her hook one leg over the back of the couch, planting her other foot firmly on the floor and exposing herself completely to him. She trailed a finger over her stomach before she ran it over her folds gently. "Lorelai," he moaned.
She propped herself up on her elbows. "You told me to get to work," she said. "And you're refusing to take off your clothes. So I'm just going to have to do this myself."
Luke could feel his knees starting to buckle as he watched her settle back on the couch, her fingers dipping into her wetness as she let out a soft sigh. "Hmmm…"
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his hands shaking as they began to undo the buttons of his shirt.
"You," Lorelai said, her hips rocking slightly. "And your fingers. How good it feels when you touch me…how wet you make me."
The temperature had risen a hundred degrees in the living room, Luke was convinced, as he tossed his shirt on the ground and let his hat fall beside it.
"Luke," her gasp came from the couch and he quickly kicked out of his shoes as he watched her body begin to flush. "Oh my god…"
He kicked his jeans and boxers aside before he knelt on the floor beside her. He pushed her fingers away and murmured, "Allow me," before he buried his face between her thighs.
"Oh my god, Luke!" Lorelai cried, her hands immediately moving to hold his head in place. She fell quickly over the edge and he rubbed her thighs encouragingly as his tongue lapped at her. "Oh, wow," she breathed as she relaxed, pushing her hair out of her face. She watched as he kissed his way up her body until he was lying on top of her, his hands lacing through hers. "Pretty pleased with yourself there, huh?"
He groaned as he rubbed himself against her. "You have no idea," he murmured. "No idea what you do to me."
She hooked her leg around his waist and arched her hips up to his. "I think I do," she replied. "God, Luke, I want you so bad."
"I want you too," he breathed, raising his head to meet her eyes.
"So take me."
He thrust into her deeply then, one hand untangling with hers to grip her thigh. She met him thrust for thrust, and he felt his head start to spin as she called out his name. With a final powerful thrust, he let himself go, moaning as he felt Lorelai squeeze his hand tightly.
"Oh my god," he whispered against the bare skin of her shoulder when he had regained his ability to think minutes later.
She pressed a kiss to his forehead and ran a hand over his hair. "I'll second that," she murmured. "That was so hot."
He lifted his head to look down at her, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I know it got a little more…intense than usual."
"Since when have I ever minded intense?" she asked, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"Never, I just wanted to make sure," he murmured.
"It was amazing," Lorelai confirmed. "You're amazing."
"We're amazing," he amended.
She smiled softly at him. "Yeah, I think that's it," she said. She sighed and pulled a blanket down over them. Running a hand over his back she whispered, "For a guy who's never picked up a girl at the bar, you were pretty successful."
He laughed as he ran a hand over her side. "It had everything to do with the girl," he replied. "I love you."
"I love you too," she smiled. "What do you think? Was it a good birthday?"
"The best," he said confidently.
"Good," Lorelai said happily. "We should go upstairs."
He sighed and leaned down to rest his forehead against her shoulder. "I don't want to move," he murmured.
"I'm getting sleepy," she admitted, squeezing his arm gently.
"I know," he said. With a final kiss to her shoulder he stood and reached for his boxers.
"What are you doing?" she asked as she started up the stairs, the blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders.
"Getting dressed?" he suggested.
Lorelai raised an eyebrow and let the blanket fall open slightly. "Who said anything about getting dressed?" she asked.
"You just said you were tired," he reminded her.
"Well, I was going to suggest a shower before bed, but if you're going to get dressed…" her thoughts were cut off with a squeal of delight as Luke grabbed her by the waist and tossed her over his shoulder, climbing the stairs two at a time.
XXXXX
"Hey, sleeping beauty, you finally made it out of bed!"
Luke shot Lorelai a glare as he walked into the kitchen a week later. "Don't call me that," he said.
"Sorry, it's just so unusual that I'm the one who's up and ready to go first," Lorelai shrugged.
He sighed and turned the tea kettle on before he turned to look at her. "Well some of us had to take the dog out in the middle of the night when he wouldn't stop barking," he said, looking pointedly at her.
She smiled sweetly and tilted her head to the side. "You wouldn't have wanted a lady to be out all alone in the cold night air, now would you?" she asked.
"A lady, no," he said. "You? Should take care of your own dog."
"I'd be hurt if I thought you meant that," she said, standing and handing him the phone. "Your daughter called."
He frowned as he looked at the clock. "Already?" he asked. "It's five thirty in New Mexico."
She shrugged. "Well, apparently she's her father's daughter," she said. "There wasn't anything wrong, I think she had a question about Thanksgiving."
"Okay, I'll call her," he said, pouring some hot water into a mug and dropping a tea bag into it. "You hungry?"
"Nope, I cleaned out the Pop Tart stash while you were getting your beauty rest," she replied. "Give April a call, maybe we can coordinate her flight with Rory's so we only have to make one airport run."
He brushed a hand over her shoulder as he walked past her into the living room, the phone already held up to his ear.
Lorelai shook her head as she sat down at the kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee. She was reading over Rory's most recent article when he appeared in the doorway, a quizzical expression on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked.
He cleared his throat and sat down at the table. "April was wondering if Rory would give her a tour of Chilton when they're here for Thanksgiving," he reported.
Lorelai sat back in her seat as she stared at him. "Really?" she asked in surprise.
"Well, I guess she's not appropriately challenged at her school out there and all the good prep schools are in the northeast," Luke said. "And I guess some friends of hers that she met over the summer are thinking about Chilton, so she figured she'd check it out while she was here."
"Wow," Lorelai said with an impressed nod. "You know, I think she'd do really well at Chilton. Rory loved it."
"I know she did," Luke nodded. "It's not by any means a done deal. We'd have to talk to Anna and figure out custody, which is probably easier said than done."
Lorelai shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. "You'd like having her here," she commented.
"I would, if it was what she really wanted," he admitted.
"I'll bring it up with Rory when I talk to her," Lorelai smiled. "We should probably consider ourselves lucky. It seems as though there's a bit of sibling worship going on there rather than rivalry."
"I guess we are," Luke nodded. "You'd be okay with it? If April came to stay?"
"Sure, I need another girl around here," Lorelai nodded.
He nodded and squeezed her hand. "Thanks," he said.
"She's your daughter, Luke, there's no need to thank me," she replied. "She'd totally be on board with Rory's town meeting analysis system."
He rolled his eyes and stood, heading for the fridge.
"Oh, look an e-mail from Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed as she clicked around on her computer.
"Yeah?" Luke asked as he bit into an apple. "Anything exciting to report?"
"Um…she's in Florida for now…humidity is the devil's work…she'll be here the night before Thanksgiving…oh, she sent her dates for Christmas!"
"When will she be here?" he asked, leaning over her shoulder to read the message.
"The 24th-31," Lorelai said, tapping his arm excitedly. "That's a full week!"
Luke smiled and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I know that will make you happy," he murmured.
"So happy," Lorelai leaned back into him. "They'll both be here for Thanksgiving, but Rory has to leave on Friday, it will be so quick. Christmas will be nice, a real holiday with our girls."
He rubbed her arm gently. "That does sound nice," he agreed.
She rested her head against his arm for a moment before she slowly turned to him. "Let's do it then," she suggested, her eyes dancing with hope.
"Do what?" he asked.
"Get married," she said, her gaze reading his expectantly.
Luke stood straighter and looked down at her for a moment. "What?" he asked.
"Let's get married, over Christmas," Lorelai said. "Think about it, it will be so perfect! The girls will be here, everything will be decorated so beautifully, and it would be such a romantic anniversary. We don't want to wait, and this is perfect! Please, Luke, let's do it!"
He sighed and rubbed a hand over his neck. "Can we plan a wedding in less than two months?" he asked.
"Yes, I know we can," Lorelai said. "It's not going to be a huge society thing, just us and our family."
"You really want this," he observed, looking down at her with a fond smile.
"I do," she said, but suddenly uncertainly washed over her face. "Unless you don't. I know I promised I'd include you."
"I want it," he said quickly. "Let's do it."
Joy lit up Lorelai's face. "Really?" she asked. "You really want to do it?"
He smiled and pulled her out of her chair. "Lorelai, I'd marry you right now," he murmured, brushing her hair out of her forehead. "If you're sure you can plan it with so little time, we'll do it."
She squealed and threw herself into his arms. "It's going to be so perfect!" she cried. "Oh, I hope it snows!"
He shook his head slightly as he pulled back to look at her. "A Christmas wedding," he murmured.
She smiled as she cupped his face in her hands, kissing him deeply. "I love you," she said softly.
"I love you too," he laughed, squeezing her waist.
"Let's set an actual date," she said, bounding for the desk and picking up the calendar. "We don't want Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. Probably not the day after, either. How about the 29th?"
"December 29th," Luke tested the date on his tongue. He looked down at Lorelai who was smiling back at him, eagerly waiting his response. "That sounds perfect."
She smiled happily and stepped closer to him again. "I'm so excited!" she exclaimed. "We have a date!"
"We have a date," he said, nodding to the calendar in her hands. "Want to make sure there's room at the inn?"
Lorelai shrugged as she reached for the phone. "We could always get married in the stable if there's not," she shrugged as she dialed. "Hi, Michel, it's me…Lorelai, the woman who pays you…listen, I need you to check if there's anything going on on December 29th…because I do…okay, put a hold on the empty rooms for that night, they don't need a card…oh, and make sure if anyone's in room seven you move them…just do it!"
She hung up the phone and frowned at Luke. "Remind me again why I employ him," she requested.
"Because you get an unhealthy amount of pleasure annoying him?" Luke suggested.
"Oh, that," Lorelai said. "Well, we're booked! Let's call the girls."
"Rory first," he said, nodding to the phone in her hand.
Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "You sure?" she asked.
"Hey, she's the maid of honor, she has to know," Luke said. "Besides, she should at least hear this from you."
Lorelai smiled as she dialed Rory's number. She took Luke's hand and led him to the couch, then put the phone on speaker. "It's early," Rory informed them crankily as she picked up.
"You already e-mailed me, I knew you were up," Lorelai defended.
"E-mail doesn't involved actual human interaction," Rory explained.
"Okay, well, have some coffee and cheer up because Luke and I have news," Lorelai said, smiling at him.
"Oh my god, are you pregnant?" Rory cried.
"No!" Lorelai said quickly. "No," she said again, trying to ignore the faint look of sadness that crossed Luke's face.
"Oh," Rory's tone seemed to match Luke's expression. "Then what's up?"
"Do you have plans December 29th?" Lorelai asked.
"I just e-mailed you, I'll be home," Rory replied. "And you'll be rambling about not getting peppermint in your coffee."
Lorelai offered Luke a smile and squeezed his hand. "How about you go to a wedding instead?" she asked.
"Who's wedding?" Rory asked, then cried, "Yours?"
"That's the plan," Lorelai said. "You and April will be here, and Luke thinks it will be super romantic."
"Uh, that was you," Luke interjected.
"And you didn't deny it," Lorelai replied. "What do you think, maid of honor? Can you squeeze us in before you take off again?"
"I think it's perfect!" Rory exclaimed. "I'm so happy!"
"Good," Lorelai said.
"We have to start planning!" Rory said. "I'll start a spreadsheet of everything we need to do. It's so soon, are you sure you can do this?"
"We're sure," Lorelai nodded. "You don't worry your pretty little head. Luke and I will take care of this."
"But there's so much!" Rory replied. "Flowers and dresses and food. I wonder if I can use our software to design invitations…"
"Rory, you do your job," Luke said. "You can help out when you're here for Thanksgiving, but when you're out there, you need to be focused on your job, not us."
"I'm just so excited!" Rory cried. "Is it going to snow? I hope it snows!"
"You are so my daughter," Lorelai informed her. "Luke's right, babe, just focus on writing, we'll celebrate when you get home."
"I love you, Mom," Rory said happily.
"I love you too, Rory," she replied. "You have no idea."
"Okay, I have to go," Rory said. "Hey, can you send me April's phone number?"
"Sure," Luke said.
"Why?" Lorelai asked.
"Stepsister stuff," Rory replied evasively. "Bye!"
Lorelai turned to smile at Luke. "Well, that's one down," she said.
"She sounded happy," Luke replied, taking the phone from her hand and dialing April's phone number.
"I think she is," Lorelai replied.
"Hello?" April's voice came over the phone.
"Hey, kid, me again," Luke said. "Lorelai's here too."
"Hi, April!" she chimed in.
"Hi!" April replied. "What's up? I've already talked to both of you today."
"Yes, we know you're sick of us," Lorelai placated.
"We have news," Luke started.
"Are you having a baby?" April asked curiously.
Lorelai frowned. "If people were actually looking at me when they said that, I'd start to be offended," she commented. "Nope, no sibling for you, sorry."
"Oh," April sighed dramatically.
"Lorelai and I decided that while you and Rory are both here over Christmas we're going to get married," Luke informed his daughter. "December 29th."
"Really?" April cried. "Dad, that's so exciting! It's so soon!"
Lorelai smiled as she rested her hand on Luke's knee. "Well, you'll learn soon enough that some things aren't worth waiting for," she said. "This is one of them."
"I'll start working on some spreadsheets and e-mail them to you," April said. "There are quite a few flowers that would look nice in a bouquet and still survive the Connecticut cold. I'll have to figure out…"
Lorelai turned to look at Luke as his daughter rambled about cross breeding wedding flowers. "How about we let her and Rory plan the entire thing and just show up for the fun part?" she suggested.
"Works for me," he shrugged.
"Hey, can I have Rory's phone number?" April was asking.
"Sure, I'll e-mail it to you," Lorelai said. She glanced at Luke and added in a loud whisper, "We all know what happens when your dad tries to use the computer."
April giggled. "I have to get to swim practice, but I'll call you tonight," April announced. "I love you guys!"
With that, she hung up and Lorelai turned to Luke. "How long do you think we can wait until we tell the town?" she asked.
"How about forever?" Luke suggested.
"Works for me," Lorelai said. "We have a date."
He smiled as he squeezed her hand. "We have a date."
XXXXX
That evening, after she'd returned from work, Lorelai was seated on the couch with a notebook and pencil, her laptop open on the table, and a frown on her face. Luke had promised to be home before closing that evening, but it was almost nine and she hadn't heard a word from him.
Just as she was reaching for the phone to call him, she heard the front door open and turned to see him enter the living room, a long, flat box in his arms.
"Hi," he said, setting the box on the empty chair and leaning down to kiss her. "Sorry I'm late. I stopped at Liz's."
"It's okay," Lorelai said. She pointed to the box. "What's that?"
"Something I want to talk to you about," Luke said, sitting down beside her on the couch. "Liz went through some of our stuff that's been in storage since I sold our house, and this was one of the things she found. It's our mom's wedding dress."
Lorelai's face morphed into compassion as she reached out to run a hand over his arm. "Oh, hon," she whispered. She knew he was sad his parents wouldn't be at his wedding.
"It's pretty outdated," Luke said. "But I talked to Liz, and she said that it's okay with her if you take some of the material and make a new dress."
Lorelai blinked in surprise. "You what?" she asked.
"You don't have to," Luke said quickly. "But I thought it might be nice."
"I have considered making my own dress," Lorelai replied.
"You make beautiful clothes," Luke offered. "And I just figured I'd offer."
"Can I look at it?" Lorelai asked, standing and holding her hands poised over the box.
"Of course," Luke nodded, gesturing to the box. "The veil's in there too. Liz asked that we don't change that, but if you don't want to wear it, it's fine."
Lorelai gasped as she lifted a lace veil out of the box. "It's beautiful," she whispered, trailing her fingers over the fabric. "I can't believe how perfect this is."
"Really?" Luke asked.
Lorelai smiled as she combed the small tiara into her hair, balancing it on her head. "How do I look?" she asked.
Luke swallowed hard as he looked up at her. "Perfect," he whispered.
Lorelai pulled the veil carefully off her head and placed it on the coffee table before she turned back to the box, pulling the dress out carefully. The satin fabric was cool against her fingertips and she smiled as she trailed her fingers over the long lace arms. "I like it," she said.
"You do?" Luke asked.
"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "I would change some stuff, but the dress is beautiful. I might make the arms shorter and I'll have to try it on to see how well it fits, but I think I can work with it."
"Really?" Luke asked.
"You sound surprised," Lorelai tore her gaze from the dress to look at him.
"I just thought you'd want something more modern, more you," he said. "I didn't think you'd actually want this one."
Lorelai placed the dress back in the box and sat down on the coffee table in front of him. "Luke," she whispered, taking her hands in his. "This is important to you. I can tell."
Luke nodded.
"So it's important to me," Lorelai said. "That's how this works."
Luke pulled her into his arms and held her tightly for a moment. "Thank you," he whispered. "I love you."
"I love you too," she smiled as she pulled back. "Are you sure Liz doesn't mind? What about Doula?"
Luke shook his head. "She's already married, and she says Doula can have her own dress," he said.
"What about April?"
He shot her a glare. "April will never get married," he informed her.
"Luke, I'm being serious," Lorelai said. "It's her grandmother's dress. A family heirloom."
Luke smiled and reached out to curl a strand of her hair around his finger. "And you're marrying into the family," he said softly.
"You're sure?" Lorelai asked.
"You can talk to her, but I honestly can't see April ever being that upset over a dress," Luke said. "Besides, maybe she'll wear the one you make one day."
That brought a bright smile to Lorelai's face. "Yeah, I guess she could," she said. "I have a dress!"
"You have a dress," Luke agreed.
"And we have a date."
"So what's next?" Luke asked.
"Next you promise you'll dance with me," Lorelai said. "It's our wedding."
"We'll dance," Luke promised. "And I'll even eat cake."
"Wow, all these years I've tried to convince you to eat cake," Lorelai smiled as she slid onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "All I had to do was marry you."
"That's all you had to do," Luke confirmed, his hand rubbing her thigh gently. "Hey?"
"Yeah?" Lorelai asked.
"I'm really happy," Luke murmured.
"Me too," Lorelai smiled before her lips came crashing down onto his,
"Hmmm," Luke sighed as her lips trailed down to his neck. "So what else do we have to do?"
"Well, get a marriage permit from Taylor," Lorelai said before kissing him again.
"Don't talk about Taylor when you're doing that," Luke requested.
"Sorry," Lorelai giggled. "Can we take a break from the wedding planning?"
"Hmm, definitely time for a break," Luke said, pulling her lips down to him again. "Ignore it," he commanded when the phone began to ring in the background. Their mouths continued a passionate battle for power as the phone continued to ring, and a moment later the answering machine kicked on.
"Lorelai, it's your mother," the voice filled the room, causing both of them to freeze. "I can't believe you're not home. It's eight thirty on a Tuesday night. Where could you possibly be on a Tuesday?"
"Well, the mood's effectively killed," Luke commented.
"…disrespect for the self control I've had about your wedding plans," Emily was saying. "I have tried to do this your way, but you won't even tell me that you've set a date. Rory isn't answering her phone either, and I have no doubt she learned this from you."
"God, it's been twenty three years since I've lived there and yet she still manages to control my life," Lorelai groaned.
"…humiliating it is to have Mitsy Gibbons tell me she read about your engagement on a blog. A blog, Lorelai. Do you know what kinds of people write blogs? Prostitutes and drug dealers."
"Oh, now we're onto how badly I've ruined her reputation," Lorelai sighed, reaching for the phone.
"What the hell are you doing?" Luke asked, pulling her arm back.
"This is what she does," Lorelai said. "She knows I screen my calls, so she just rambles everything she has to say. Trust me, it's better if I just answer."
Luke raised his hands in defeat. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he said, sitting back with a smirk as Lorelai answered the phone. Her face immediately morphed into one of regret. "Good luck," Luke whispered, leaning in to press a kiss to the top of her head before he headed for the stairs.
XXXXX
"I hate brides."
Luke looked up from his baseball game when Lorelai stormed into the house late the following evening.
"Seriously, I don't understand how crazy some women are about their damn wedding," Lorelai called as she walked into the kitchen. "It's one stupid day."
"My bride, ladies and gentlemen," Luke said dryly as she walked into the living room with a glass of wine in her hand.
"I'll tell you right now, if on our wedding day I can even tell the difference between sky blue napkins and robin's egg blue napkins, I'll do everyone a favor and not show up," Lorelai rolled her eyes as she collapsed next to him. "I mean, shouldn't it be about the marriage? Not every tiny little detail?"
"Rough day?" Luke asked as she dropped her feet onto his lap.
"The Hannigan wedding was in for a walk through of the inn today," Lorelai reported. "Apparently the tablecloths that we advertised as sky blue were actually robin's egg blue, which means we have to give them the entire linen order for free."
"I'm sorry," Luke offered, rubbing her calf.
Lorelai shrugged. "I guess I'll use her behavior as a model of what not to be like," she said. "But I was thinking today."
"About different shades of blue?"
"No," she kicked him gently. "About our honeymoon."
"Oh," Luke nodded. "I have some thoughts."
"Really?" Lorelai asked curiously. "What are you thinking?"
"Surprise," Luke shook his head.
"What?" Lorelai frowned. "You can't keep a secret from me!"
"Actually, I can," he nodded. "More than one."
"You have more than one secret from me?" Lorelai narrowed her eyes.
"Well, not surprises," he said carefully. "More like ideas. For the honeymoon and your wedding gift."
"You have an idea for my wedding gift?" Lorelai asked, shaking his shoulder slightly. "Tell me, tell me!"
Luke laughed as he shook his head. "Not going to happen," he said.
"Why not?" Lorelai frowned.
"Because I know how to distract you," Luke said.
"How about if I take off a piece of clothing for every answer you give me," Lorelai suggested.
"Seen it before," Luke shrugged.
"And you'll be lucky if you see it again," Lorelai flopped against the back of the couch.
"Oh, I will," Luke nodded, leaning in to kiss her neck gently.
"Luke," she whined. "Tell me about our honeymoon!"
His only response was to gently nibble on her neck, his tongue quickly following to soothe the tender skin. "Hmm, I love when you beg," he murmured.
Lorelai sighed dramatically. "This is so not fair," she said.
Luke lifted his head slightly. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked.
"God no," Lorelai shook her head. "Just remind me to wear a scarf to work tomorrow."
Luke smiled as he returned to his task, enjoying Lorelai's soft sighs of pleasure as her hand rested against the back of his head. After a few moments, he pulled back to admire his work, running his hand over the red circle that had appeared on the spot where her shoulder met her neck. "Now everyone will know you're mine," he murmured.
"Ah, branding me as yours," Lorelai said, running her fingers over the spot. "Now it's your turn."
"No way," Luke shook his head.
"Come on, Luke, I need to make sure none of those Thursday morning book club ladies steal you away from me," Lorelai said.
"Not likely," Luke shrugged. "They're all married."
Lorelai scoffed. "Do you think it's a coincidence that I'm in the diner every Thursday morning?" she asked. "I've seen the way they look at you. I've had to reschedule meetings to keep them away from you."
"Is that why you made a show of flashing your engagement ring last week?" Luke asked.
"Well, that, and it's just so, so pretty," Lorelai nodded.
"You're shameless," Luke informed her.
She shrugged. "I have to do what I have to do," she said. "Hey, Liz called when I was on my way home."
Luke rested his head against the back of the couch. "Please tell me you told her I was working late."
"Sorry, hon," she said. "She's on her way over with TJ."
"Why?" Luke asked.
"She didn't say, but I'm assuming it's because you're her brother and you've barely seen her recently," Lorelai said.
"She only wants to see me when she needs a babysitter," Luke replied.
"Well, let us girls hang out and you and TJ can do manly things," Lorelai said.
"Right," Luke rolled his eyes. "Last time you let TJ do manly things we ended up with a hole in the bedroom wall."
"Well, just don't let him near your toolbox," Lorelai said, then giggled. "Dirty."
"Aw, jeez," Luke rolled his eyes.
"Just watch the game and give him a beer," Lorelai suggested. "Maybe he'll lock himself in the bathroom again."
He sighed as there was a knock at the front door. "We can only hope," he murmured.
"Be nice," Lorelai requested as she moved to the hallway. "Hi, Lorelai!" Liz exclaimed as she opened the door.
"Hi, Liz," Lorelai smiled as she hugged her future sister in law. "How are you?"
"I'm good, I'm good," Liz said. "Where's my big brother?"
"Here," Luke said, appearing in the hallway. "Hi, Liz."
"Hey, you," she said as she reached to kiss his cheek. "Wow, the house looks great!"
"Thanks, we love it," Lorelai said, peering out the door. "Where's TJ? And Doula?"
"He took her to see the work he did on the house," Liz reported. "He's upset because one of the windows is uneven."
"Oh, jeez," Luke handed his beer to Lorelai and hurried out the door.
"Go, babe!" Lorelai called after him before she closed the door and smiled at Liz. "How are you?"
"Great," Liz said, following Lorelai into the living room. "Hey, how's Rory? Last I heard she was writing up a storm on the campaign trail."
"She's a regular Kerouac, that one," Lorelai nodded. "Traveling and writing, next thing you know you'll be seeing her great American novel in bookstores."
"I don't doubt it," Liz said with a smile.
"So what brings you here?" Lorelai asked.
"I have something for you," Liz said as she settled onto the couch.
"For me?" Lorelai asked. "You've already given me your mother's dress, which is perfect, by the way. Are you sure you're okay with me changing it a little?"
"Of course," Liz said. "I've had my day, this is yours. You should have a dress that represented true love. Luke has always wanted what our parents had, and now he has it. Which is why I have these for you."
Before Lorelai could reach for the proffered box, the door burst open and Luke shoved TJ into the kitchen. "Sit down," he said, shoving Doula into his arms. "And don't touch anything."
"Hey, I was just trying to fix the window," TJ defended.
"The window is fine," Luke said tersely. "What's going on in here?" he asked as he returned to the living room.
"Sit down, big brother," Liz said. "I was just about to give Lorelai something for your wedding."
Luke took a seat next to Lorelai and they both looked at Liz expectantly. "I found Mom and Daddy's wedding rings in the box with Mom's dress," she explained. "So I decided to make wedding rings out of them. For you."
Lorelai glanced at Luke as she took the box Liz was holding out. She cracked it open and gasped slightly at the rings before her. "Liz," she whispered, trailing her fingers over the matching silver bands. "These are beautiful."
"They're Mom and Dad's?" Luke asked, his hand joining Lorelai's.
Liz nodded. "I melted their rings together," she said. "Then I created two new bands out of the melted silver. That way each of you has a little bit of each band. I also engraved them."
Lorelai lifted the rings closer to her face, seeing the two L's looped together on each band. "Liz, I can't believe this," she whispered. "They're…perfect."
"I've never seen you this happy, Luke," Liz said. "I know you've worked really hard to get to this point, and I'm so glad you have. You've always looked out for me no matter what. After Mom died and Daddy was too sad to take care of us, you were the one to get me to school, cook me dinner, and hold me when I missed her. You were there when Jimmy left Jess and me, and then you helped me with Jess when I couldn't do it anymore. I'll never be able to thank you for being there for me my whole life. This is the least I can do to show you how grateful I am."
Luke shook his head as he looked at his sister. "I was happy to do it," he said. "I'd do it all over again. You'll always be my sister."
Liz smiled at both of them. "You two deserve this," she said.
Lorelai blushed and ducked her head. "We're pretty sure this time," she said.
"We are," Luke said, rubbing her knee.
"Make each other happy," Liz said. "Let yourselves be happy."
"We will," Lorelai promised, leaning back into Luke.
"Hey, there's a chip in the banister!" TJ announced as he walked into the living room. "I told you those guys didn't know what they were doing!"
"I want him out of my house," Luke said to Liz.
Liz held up her hands in front of her. "He's just trying to find something he's good at," she said. "Bring him outside if you don't trust him."
"TJ, let's go," Luke said wearily, taking Doula from him and handing the baby to Lorelai.
"Where are you going?" Lorelai asked.
"Taylor's," Luke replied. "Maybe he can find something else to renovate and Taylor can find someone else to annoy."
"Win win," Lorelai nodded in understanding.
"I'll see you later," he leaned down to kiss her softly.
Lorelai smiled as she watched him leave. "These rings are amazing, Liz," she said softly. "I can't believe you did this. It's more than enough."
"You've made my brother so happy," Liz said. "He's been through a lot, and I always hoped he'd loosen up a bit. Now he's with you and I couldn't imagine someone better for him. My parents would have wanted you to have all of this. They would have loved you."
Lorelai nodded, tears filling her eyes. "Luke says that too," she said. "I hope it's true. I know how much they mean to him, how much he misses them. I really hope they would have approved of me."
"They would have loved to be here to see this," Liz promised. "You're part of this family now, Lorelai. Rory too. Just…take care of him."
"I will," Lorelai promised, leaning down to inhale Doula's unique baby scent. "I promise."
Liz reached out to hold her daughter's foot with a smile on her face. "She loves you," she commented.
"Feeling's mutual," Lorelai said. "I remember when Rory was this old. I wish I could have frozen time."
"Me too," Liz said sadly. "I didn't enjoy this enough with Jess."
Lorelai nodded slowly. "Hey, how are you doing?" she asked. "With the…fertility stuff? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"It's okay," Liz said. "We're still working on it. Annie, you know my friend from the faire? She does fertility crystal treatments in the off season. She has very good thoughts about us."
"Have you seen a doctor?" Lorelai asked.
"No, TJ thinks doctors are a waste of time and money," Liz said. She eyed Lorelai carefully. "What's the deal with you two?"
Lorelai shrugged. "Nothing for now," she said. "We're just forgoing preventative measures."
"Well, I can give you Annie's number," Liz offered sincerely.
Lorelai shook her head, imagining Luke's face upon learning that grog booth Annie would be given details about their sex life. "That's okay," she said. "I think we'll just let nature run its course."
"For what it's worth, I know you'll be wonderful parents," Liz said. "I mean look at those girls you already have."
"They're pretty special, aren't they?" Lorelai smiled as she looked down at Doula. "You're going to be just as special as your cousins, aren't you?"
Doula giggled up at her and Lorelai squeezed her tightly. "Can I tell you a secret?" she asked Liz.
"Sure, I'm a great secret keeper," Liz nodded.
Lorelai hugged Doula and rested her head against the baby's soft blonde hair. "I want one so badly," she whispered. "And I'm scared we'll never get it."
Liz smiled and reached out to rest a hand on Lorelai's shoulder. "You'll get it," she said. "I'm never wrong about these things."
XXXXX
"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, where have you been? I've been calling and calling and there's no answer. I know you're home, because it's nine thirty on a Wednesday night and you're never out late on Tuesday night because you want to watch Lost…"
Luke turned to frown at Lorelai as Rory's voice came through the answering machine. "She's approaching Emily Gilmore level of scary," he told her.
"…after traveling all the way across the country, you can't even get off the couch to greet me."
Lorelai paused her search through the couch cushions in attempts to find the phone. "What are you talking about?" she asked the machine.
"Open the front door and find out."
Lorelai sprinted towards the front door and let out a scream of excitement when she saw her daughter standing in front of her. "You're here!" she cried.
Rory threw herself into her mother's embrace. "You answered!"
"I didn't know you'd be home so soon!"
"Me neither!"
"I'm so glad you're here!"
"Me too! Where's your ring?"
Lorelai beamed as she held her left hand out to her daughter with a dramatic flourish. "You've been replaced," she said in a posh voice. "This is my new best friend."
"Good to know," Rory said as she examined it closer. "It looks more shiny, is it more shiny?"
Lorelai wrapped her arm around Rory and guided her inside. "Probably," she said. "Hey, I found a stray on the porch."
"I heard," Luke said with a smile as he stood and offered Rory a hug. "Welcome home."
"Thanks, Luke," she said, returning the hug. "Where's April?"
"She gets in tomorrow afternoon," Luke said. "You're sure you don't mind sharing your room? We put another bed in your room and rearranged some of the furniture."
"Not at all," Rory shrugged. "We have a lot of sister stuff to do."
Lorelai smiled affectionately at her daughter. "What brings you here early?" she asked.
Rory sat down on the couch and shrugged. "I got my article in and we don't need to report back until Monday," she said. "I could have spent tonight on the tour bus or used Grandma and Grandpa's credit card to catch an evening flight to Hartford."
"Ditching your job and using your grandparents' credit card to travel across the country to see me," Lorelai said, clutching her hands to her chest. "I have never been prouder of you!"
"I figured you'd think that," Rory said with a nod before she turned to Luke. "Have things changed that much around here that a girl has to ask for coffee?"
Lorelai giggled as Luke rolled his eyes and headed towards the kitchen. She thought she heard the words, "mother," "daughter," and "crazy" escape his lips, but she couldn't be sure.
"Hey, come upstairs," she said. "While he's busy."
"Oh, wedding stuff!" Rory cried, following Lorelai up the stairs.
"Yep," Lorelai said, dragging Rory into her bedroom. "Lock him out."
Rory gleefully closed the door and flipped the lock, turning to watch as Lorelai pulled a white garment bag out of the depths of her closet. "I just finished it yesterday," she reported. "It's not exactly as fancy as the other one, but I didn't want that."
"I can't wait to see it," Rory said, settling on the end of the bed as Lorelai unzipped the bag and gingerly pulled out the dress. A layer of white lace covered the satin of Luke's mother's dress, and a sheer layer of lace fell as sleeves down the side. A white satin sash rested on the hanger, and Lorelai fingered it softly.
"This will go around my waist, like a belt," she explained.
"Mom, it's beautiful," Rory said, standing to run her hand over the dress. "Will you try it on for me?"
Lorelai held the dress up to herself and offered her daughter an unabashed happy smile. "I've been trying it on at least once a day," she said. "Even before it was done."
Rory smiled at her mother's giddiness. "Go ahead, Cinderella, I want to see it!" she gestured to the bathroom.
"Hey, the veil's in there too!" Lorelai called from behind the closed door. "I haven't made up my mind about it, I'm not sure if it matches the dress."
Rory retrieved the veil and held it up carefully. "It's beautiful," she commented.
"It is, I'm just not sure if it matches," Lorelai said. She stepped into the bedroom dressed in her dress, and smiled shyly. "Does it look okay?"
"Oh, Mom, you look amazing!" Rory cried. "It fits you perfectly!"
"It should, I made it for me," Lorelai said. She stepped in front of the floor length mirror and turned from side to side, smiling as she examined herself. "Do you really think it's okay?"
"It's perfect," Rory promised.
"You think Luke will like it?" Lorelai asked.
"He'll love it."
"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked.
"Positive," Rory nodded. "Try the veil."
Lorelai took the veil and placed it in her hair, examining it closely. "What do you think?" she asked.
Rory tilted her head to the side. "Maybe if you attach it to the back of your head instead of the top," she suggested.
Lorelai adjusted the veil and turned back to the mirror. "Better," she nodded. "I'll see what I think tomorrow."
"And you can get April's opinion too," Rory nodded.
Before Lorelai could respond, Luke's voice came from the other side of the door. "I know I'm not allowed in right now, but the requested coffee is ready," he said. "And I'd think very carefully about asking Rory to sneak it into you when you're wearing that dress."
"I am not wearing a wedding dress!" Lorelai called defensively.
"Then let me in."
Lorelai frowned at Rory, who shook her head. "I'm not getting in the middle of this," she said.
"Traitor," Lorelai sighed. "We'll be down in a few minutes!" she called.
After she'd heard Luke's footsteps descend the stairs, she turned to Rory. "Be honest," she said. "I won't be offended if you think there's anything wrong with it, at all."
"There's not," Rory said. "The dress is perfect."
"Is it too short?" Lorelai asked, turning to try to look at the back. "Or too tight? I know I'm not exactly traditional, but I don't want to look slutty on my wedding day. I can add some material to the hem if you think I should. Or shorten the arm length, but it will be December, so it will be cold, and…"
"Mom," Rory said sincerely, turning Lorelai to look at her. "It's perfect."
Lorelai smiled as she tried to fight the tears building in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "I'm so glad you're here."
"Me too," Rory said. "Now put that dress away, I want some coffee!"
Lorelai sighed as she turned to look at herself in the mirror. "Just a few more minutes?" she asked.
"Okay, fine," Rory sighed dramatically. "I'll go make sure Luke has honorable intentions towards you."
Lorelai turned to look at Rory with raised eyebrows. "God, I hope not," she said.
Rory made a face. "So not what I meant," she said. "Come down when you're ready, Bridezilla."
Luke was pouring two cups of coffee in the kitchen when she walked down the stairs, and she offered him a grateful smile as she accepted one of them. "Thanks, Luke," she said, inhaling deeply. "God, I missed your coffee."
"Glad to be of service," he said. He nodded to her room and said, "I brought in the bags you left on the porch."
"Thanks," Rory said. "I guess I got distracted."
"Your mom's been dying to show the dress to someone," he said in understanding. "She doesn't want anyone besides you and April to see it before the wedding."
Rory nodded and took a long sip of coffee.
"She said she finished it yesterday," Luke continued casually.
"I'm not telling you anything," Rory said.
Luke sighed. "Worth a try," he said.
"She's happy," Rory informed him.
"I know that."
"Make sure she stays that way." Rory's tone was teasing, but her eyes met his gaze evenly. He wasn't sure her protective streak would ever become softer when it came to her mother.
"She will," he promised.
"A year ago she was miserable," Rory reminded him.
"So was I."
"I hated seeing her like that."
"I know."
Rory set her coffee cup on the counter. "I don't want it to seem like I'm not happy about this, because I am," she said. "But after everything, you could see how I'm a little apprehensive."
"Rory, we've been over this, we've thought it through," Luke promised. "Neither of us has the best track record, I'll give you that. But we're sure this time, I promise."
"Okay," Rory said. She glanced at him for a moment before she said, "The dress is white."
He rolled his eyes, taking her peace offering. "Thanks," he said sarcastically.
"You're welcome," she nodded. She sat down at the kitchen table and asked, "So what are the chances of getting a patented Luke breakfast tomorrow morning?"
"I'd say pretty good," Lorelai answered for him as she walked into the kitchen. She accepted the cup of coffee Luke was offering her and smiled dreamily at him. "You're a vision."
"I'll make breakfast as long as you're both up before nine," he said. "I have to get to the diner so I can pick April up at the airport in the afternoon."
"I can do nine," Lorelai nodded.
"Me too, that's sleeping in for me now," Rory said. "Do you think April will want to go to the Thanksgiving sale at Stars Hollow books on Friday?"
"Is my mother disappointed by my existence?" Lorelai responded. "That future stepsister of yours is giving you a run for your money."
Rory frowned. "I'm going to reclaim that Scrabble record," she declared. "Even if it takes all night."
"Well, don't expect me to watch," Lorelai said. "Unless I'm allowed to make up words this time."
"You've never been allowed to make up words," Rory said.
"Like that's ever stopped her," Luke muttered.
"Hey, I was good last time!" Lorelai defended herself.
"Brasselfrat?" Luke prompted.
"What's brasselfrat?" Rory asked.
"Your mother tried to use it as a word last time April was here," Luke explained.
"It's a word!" Lorelai cried.
"Use it in a sentence," Rory requested.
Lorelai thought for a moment, stumped, then said, "Brasselfrat is an acceptable Scrabble word." She gave a confident nod and took a sip of coffee.
"I veto it," Rory replied.
Lorelai scoffed. "I give you life and you veto my Scrabble words?" she asked. "How is that fair?"
"I don't make the rules," Rory replied.
"Hey, we should stay up all night and eat lots of sugar and watch movies," Lorelai replied. "It's been way too long since we've done that!"
"You did it last week," Luke reminded her.
"Yeah, with you, not Rory," Lorelai rolled her eyes.
"Good to know where I stand," Luke nodded. He stood and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Don't make yourself too sick?"
"Only moderately sick," Lorelai confirmed. "Night."
"Goodnight," he brushed his hand over her shoulder. "Night, Rory."
"Night, Luke."
She watched as he disappeared around the staircase, then turned to her mother. "You two seem good," she said.
Lorelai sighed dramatically and held her hand out in front of her. "Well, I do think the diamond is a sign of good things," she said.
Rory was quiet for a moment before she said. "A year ago you were married to Dad."
Lorelai quickly deflated and turned to look at Rory. "What's your point?" she asked.
"My point is that it hasn't been that long," Rory said. "You and Luke were great at first, before it got bad. What if this is the same thing? The happy, back together bubble?"
"That's not what this is," Lorelai said quickly. "We're acting happy because we are happy. You haven't been around, Rory, but we've fought through everything. There have been tears and yelling and accusations. There's been forgiveness and sharing of emotions. We're not the same people we were, we're better."
"I just don't know if I can watch you go through it again," Rory admitted. "Or watch him go through it again. It was too hard."
The expression on Rory's face reminded Lorelai of how she'd looked when she was ten years old and heartbroken when they couldn't go on a weekend trip because Lorelai had had to take over a canceled shift at the inn. For the first time, Lorelai realized how much her actions over the past year and a half had effected her daughter, and immediately hated herself for it.
"We never really talked about what happened, did we?" she asked softly.
"We talked about it to great length," Rory countered.
"No, we talked about me and my feelings," Lorelai said. "We never talked about how my bad choices effected you."
"It's okay," Rory said.
"It's not okay," Lorelai said. "God, how could I have been so selfish?"
"You weren't yourself," Rory said. "It's okay, it's not you I'm mad at."
Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "Are you mad at Luke?" she asked.
"No!" Rory cried. "I mean, I was, because he was kind of a jerk, but he's more than made up for that."
"Okay, so who's facing the wrath of Rory Gilmore now?" Lorelai asked.
Rory sipped her coffee for a moment before she said, "Dad should have known you weren't ready. He totally took advantage of how hurt you were."
Lorelai inhaled sharply as she glanced over her shoulder. Rory's voice was rising, and she wasn't sure how Luke would react to what she was saying. "Rory…"
"It's not okay!" Rory cried, standing and pacing, the flood of her emotions now let loose. "He was always trying to get to you! And the only time he ever even paid attention to me was when he wanted to get to you!"
"Rory, your dad loves you, you know that," Lorelai replied.
"He didn't even care that I wasn't there!" Rory yelled. "I mean, it was completely insane that you two got married, but I'm your daughter! Shouldn't he have wanted me to be there?"
Lorelai's mind flashed back to two very different moments in time.
I don't want to set a wedding date until things are right with Rory…Okay.
Marry me…we can't…why not…Rory…Rory will be thrilled.
The differences between Luke and Christopher were defined by those two moments in time, and Lorelai was again slammed with regret.
"And even when things were weird between you and Luke, he was there for me!" Rory exclaimed. "He made me s'mores and bought me a necklace! And before you were even together, he sent his own nephew away because he thought that's what I wanted! He moved me into Yale, he took care of me when I was sick! He's the one who always cared!"
Lorelai's mind again flashed to her parents' wedding, when she'd been in a desperate search for Luke. Rory had been more upset about Luke being disappointed in her than her own father after being caught with a boy.
Luke was so mad…that's because to Luke you're still twelve years old.
"Hon, you've got to calm down," Lorelai said gently.
Rory stopped pacing and turned to look at Lorelai. "I just want things to work," she admitted. "I don't…I don't want to get my hopes up and have them torn down again."
Lorelai stood and pulled Rory tightly into her arms. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, cradling her head on her shoulder. "I never even considered what all of that did to you. And me working things out with Luke has been great, but I should have talked to you about it too. I should have known how upset you were."
Rory shook her head against Lorelai's shoulder. "I'm not upset about Luke," she murmured. "I'm scared it won't last."
"Hey," Lorelai said, pulling back and holding Rory's shoulders. "I get why you're scared of that. I was too, for a long time. But Luke and I are back. For good. We're better than ever, Rory, I promise. We wouldn't be doing this to you or April if we weren't a hundred thousand percent positive that this was the right move."
Rory wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. "Promise?" she asked.
Lorelai kissed Rory's forehead and wrapped her arms around her tightly. "Promise, promise," she murmured. "I'm sorry it's a little late."
"It's okay," Rory murmured.
"And I'm sorry I was selfish."
Rory smiled as she pulled back from the embrace. "I'll add it to the list," she said.
Lorelai took her peace offering and snapped her fingers. "Damn, that list is getting longer and longer."
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, kid."
Rory turned to the coffee machine and asked, "Coffee and movies?"
"You are so my daughter."