THE FOURTH SIGN

Luke stood in a long white hallway with pictures of stalks carrying pink and blue bundled up baby's blankets. As Luke stood there he had a feeling deep down in his stomach that he needed to be somewhere, somewhere important and he knew that by standing there he wasn't where he needed to be.

Luke stepped one big, steel toe capped boot in front of his other and et off, it was like after that first step it seemed like from there he had no control over where he was going. He knew it sounded insane but it was as if he was being dragged around by someone. He knew who it was, he always knew who it was, this dream was a regular occurance in his mind. He often dreamt about her, from the first day that he had met her, sometimes they were of him and her on a date, sometimes it was of them just doing the grocery shopping but this was the most regular one.

Usually he would walk down the long hall and into a small white room with the same stalk pictures as the hallway had, he would be greeted by a smiling Lorelai holding Rory, bundled up in a baby pink blanket. All covered in the baby goo that they came out covered in. Luke didn't know what it was called but he didn't need to. It was all about Rory in that moment when he saw them. A nurse would come up to him and ask him to sign a birth certificate for one 'Lorelai Leigh Danes.

This time however he was greeted by a grim looking Lorelai, rocking on the bed clutching a messily wrapped blue baby. When the nurse approached Luke he was not presented with a birth certificate. No this time he was to be the one to sign a death certificate for one 'Lorelai Leigh Hayden'.

Luke approached Lorelai completely intent on looking at the baby to check if it was in fact Rory, he was so horrified with the thought of his little girl not being alive that he was in denial. He thought that the surname meant that it was a different baby but when he got close to Lorelai she pulled Rory further out of his reach and began to yell at him that it was all his fault, that he shouldn't have given her the coffee that first day when they met and she begged him. Luke went on to explain to her that he hadn't known her when she was pregnant with Rory.

Once again Luke walked up to Lorelai to take a look at the baby but she pulled further away again and started to yell hateful things at him, he could deal with her calling him a low life that deserved nothing more than to rot in his bachelor lifestyle all alone and as he was but what really got him was when she yelled three sentences at him, "SHE'S MINE! MINE AND CHRISTOPHER'S! SHE'LL NEVER BE YOURS!"

Luke woke with a start, panting and sweating, he knew that Lorelai considered him Rory's father, she always said that Chris was just the man that provided the primordial ooze that helped to create Rory. She said that a father was the person that created a baby but it took someone who was there and always caring to be a dad or as Rory called him 'Daddy'. That person had to be there always and raise said baby.

As Luke sat there panting and sweating, he knew he had to see her, this was the first time that this particular dream had ever changed, usually it was sweet and innocent but this time it was the complete opposite. This was like he said, usually a dream but this time it was a nightmare.

Luke jumped up and out of bed, he ran to his closet and stripped himself of his sweat drenched tee and put on a new and in this case more importantly in this case dry one. Once he was satisfied with the fit of his clean shirt he left his apartment, not even caring that he was still in his pajama sweats. When he got to his truck he immediately switched the radio on and drove in a silent worry. Twenty minutes later he pulled up in the Independence Inn parking lot. Totally uncaring of the time he marched straight through the Inn, startling all the employees and earning a few, "you can't go in there" calls when he walked for the kitchen.

When he reached the potting shed he walked straight up to the door and began to knock loudly and insistently, usually he would be careful to knock lightly as if not to wake Rory but he didn't care tonight, he wanted her to be awake when he went in there, when Lorelai answered she had her handbag sitting on her shoulder. Lorelai walked right up to him and handed him a damp towel.

"Dunno how you knew but I need you to stay with Rory while I run to the pharmacy, change her nappy if she needs it, feed her if she's hungry and clean up if she throws up anywhere but in the toilet or the bucket. Please try and get her to sleep a little, she's been up for the last twenty-four hours straight." Lorelai walked a little further away before she said the next part. "oh and by the way I'm borrowing your truck!"

Luke just stood there for a while, stunned at how he had come at just the right time. Luke was soon brought out of his silent thoughts by a small cry coming from within the shed. Luke walked towards the noise and found Rory standing up in her cot, clad in only a nappy. Her scar was quite obvious, stretching from her chest right down to just above the edge of her nappy.

Rory put up her arms signaling that she wanted to be picked up and cuddled. This simple act would for some parents or in Luke's case, make shift parents be a burden but for Luke and Lorelai it was a blessing in disguise. It was Rory's way of saying 'I love you and I trust you' in actions. It seems that she picked up Luke's actions speak louder than words attitude. Since the incident with Chris at the hospital she had been very reserved and stuck to strictly only letting Luke and Lorelai pick her up. If anyone else touched her she would kick and scream as if she was being physically hurt.

Luke remembered the time Emily tried to pick Rory up when Lorelai, Rory and himself got made to go to dinner at their house.

Of course the minute Christopher left the hospital he rang his parents to whine about how his daughter had replaced him. Soon it had made it's way all the way down the social grapevine that Rory Gilmore had been burnt and when it reached Emily and Richard Gilmore's eager ears they were shocked beyond belief that Lorelai would not inform them of such a horrible occurrence Emily got straight on the phone and demanded that Lorelai bring Rory down for dinner at their house.

Lorelai said that they refused to go unless Luke came too. So now at 6:04 pm on a Friday night that is where they stood. On the Gilmore's doorstep. Lorelai was a bit confused when she saw that their was an extra car in the driveway and hoped that her parents had bought a new car. A very sleepy Rory turned to Lorelai and asked, "mummy where are we?"

"Well baby, were at your Grandparents house." Lorelai informed Rory, she just hoped that she didn't ask any more questions. Lorelai's bubble was soon after broken as Rory oened her mouth again.

"Mummy what are my Grand-rents?" Rory answered with a confused look on her face. Lorelai took note in the slight loss of confidence in her daughters voice as she said 'Grandparents' which came out, 'Grand-rents'.

"Well, you see that is what you call my parents." Lorelai answered. She was quickly tiring of this conversation but needed it to continue so she could say what had been burning a hole in her heart since she spoke to her parents on the phone.

Rory saw the look on her mothers face and knew something was wrong so she asked, "Mummy, what's wrong?"

"Oh, baby I'm just a bit upset at the moment." Lorelai answered. This statement caused Luke to give her a concerned look.

"what's wrong?" Luke asked.

"Well you see, I need you two to do me a favor." Lorelai knelt down to be eye level with Rory. "Baby, can you do me a favor?"

"Yes Mummy." Rory replied with certainty.

"Okay" Lorelai looked up at Luke before she continued, "I need you to stop calling Luke Daddy for just tonight okay. Do you remember the man from the hospital?" Lorelai asked Rory. She was uncertain how she would respond to this. Rory responded just how she always did, she lifted her arms up for Luke to pick her up. When she was securely in Luke's arms she took one arm away from around his neck and wrapped it around her stomach.

Rory just nodded against Lukes shoulder and Lorelai continued. "Well you see that is your Daddy. Your real Daddy. We made you with lots of love and then after a long, long time a magic person brought you us. You see my mummy and daddy don't like it when you don't call the man that helps the mummy make the baby, daddy."

Rory looked at Luke and then at Lorelai and asked confusedly, "But if a daddy is supposed to love the mummy to make the baby then why doesn't he love you anymore like Daddy does?"

"Ummm…." Lorelai was lost and didn't have an answer for her daughter.

Just when Lorelai was about to come up with an excuse Luke jumped in, "Okay, you see sometimes when a baby is made the mummy and the daddy love each other very much but then they love other people."

"Does Mummy love you Daddy?" Rory asked.

Lorelai stuttered when Luke looked at her but then slowly the stutter turned into a small smile as she replied, "Yes Baby, I do love your Daddy."

Rory looked confused now, "Do you mean my Luke Daddy or my man Daddy?"

"I mean your Luke daddy, Baby." Lorelai replied smiling at Rory and then turning to Luke and smiling at him even brighter.

Lorelai turned and walked up right next to Rory so that she was eye level with her and made sure that Rory was looking her in the eyes before she began, "Okay, can you please do me a favour while were here?" Lorelai asked her daughter, She could see the smile on Rory's lips spread to her eyes at the new certain knowledge that her mum loved her dad.

"Yeah Mummy, what is it?" Rory asked.

"Well baby, can you pleas call your Luke Daddy, just Luke tonight?" at Rory's fallen face Lorelai continued, trying to get Rory to understand. "You need to because your grandparents don't like it when you call someone Daddy when their not your REAL Daddy." Lorelai emphasised the word 'real' so that Rory understood that Luke wasn't her real Daddy but just her Luke daddy.

Rory kept her head on Luke's shoulder as she looked at Lorelai and answered with, "But Mummy, Daddy is my Daddy." This line had become somewhat Rory's mission statement. Every time someone voiced their opinion about Luke being called Rory's Dad.

"Yeah, I know baby but just for tonight, Please." Lorelai was down to pleading with Rory.

Luke just saw Lorelai's face and knew he had to put his foot in and help her. "c'mon Baby, we can play a game, 'who can stop for longer'."

Rory just looked at Luke confused, "What do you do in that game?"

"You see, you have to stop calling the other person the thing you usually call them. I can't call you baby and you can't call me daddy." Luke explained.

"Okay, can Mummy play too?" Rory asked hopefully.

"No, this is just a daddy and Rory game." Luke said.

"Okay, well when do we start Daddy?" Rory asked, fully ready to play this game, to tell the truth she seemed kind of excited.

Luke looked down at his watch, pretending to be procrastinating about when they should start but immediately snapped his head up and said, "NOW!"

Lorelai spun on her heels and faced the big hardwood door that was surely the doorway to hell. Lorelai took in a sharp breath and reached her hand out and rang the doorbell. The chime echoed all through the house and Lorelai knew when it had hit the newest maid's ears because she heard the rushed walk towards the door from the porch. When the door was flung open, there stood the newest maid, it was a heavy set woman that introduced herself as Gretta.

Lorelai looked back at Luke who still held Rory and told him in a look that for the sake of all of them he needed to put her down. Luke tried to put Rory down but she simply clung to his neck and when he tried to plant her feet on the ground she tucked them up under her bum.

It was obvious to Lorelai that she was feeling nervous about going into a strangers house. Lorelai took off her coat and handed it off to Gretta and then reached over and took Rory from Luke. When she turned and walked into the house with Luke hot on her heels and Rory in her arms she knew it was going to be a long and tiring night, Rory wasn't very heavy but Lorelai knew that holding her all night would take its toll. As they advanced towards the lounge room Lorelai's parents came into view, along with not only one but two familiar people. Lorelai knew that this day would come, she just didn't expect it to be so soon.

Francine and Straub sat with perfect posture and clothes that looked as if they had not sat at all, perfectly un-creased. As Lorelai and Luke walked in each set of eyes in the room turned on them and Lorelai instantly felt like she was the sixteen year old who sat at the top of the stairs and listened to them all go on and on about how her being pregnant was all just a bug mistake and how they could 'fix' it.

Lorelai instantly tightened her arms around Rory and gave a weary look to Luke. When they reached the center of the room she dished out greetings. She figured that if she sounded bitter than maybe they would realize just how much they had hurt her.

"Mum, Dad, Straub, Francine." Lorelai recited with a stiff tone.

Each gave a courtesy, "Lorelai" and then each set of eyes fell on Rory and then Luke.

Everyone looked at each other and then back at Luke, word of Rory's accident had spread all through society and with it went the man that witnessed the accident.

Lorelai cleared her throat and when she was sure she had all eyes on her she spoke, "This is Luke.." Lorelai laid one hand on Luke's shoulder while her other sat underneath Rory's bottom, next she slightly lifted Rory and continued, "and THIS is Rory." Rory still kept her head low on Lorelai's shoulder.

Straub spoke next, "well, are you going to put the child own so we can see her or are you just going to stand there and look at us like were some kind of fiends?"

Lorelai looked around cautiously before trying to detach Rory from herself. It went badly as Rory clung harder to Lorelai and did the same thing she had done earlier when Luke tried to put her down. Lorelai was so close to pleading with Rory to let her put her down that it was ridiculous.

It was as if Luke could hear this and stepped in, with his best fatherly scorning voice he did the smallest thing but it gave the perfect reaction, the one he had been hoping for. All he did was say, "Rory!" Rory seemed to get the point and immediately let her legs fall and then let go of Lorelai's neck when they were firmly planted. Rory looked up at Luke apologetically. He simply smiled and opened his arms for a hug, Luke had instantly felt bad at the look on her poor face. Rory ran up smiling and laughing, straight into his arms.

Luke reluctantly pulled back and then pointed back to Lorelai and with that simple sign Rory walked back over to her and hugged her mums legs.

All went well, mostly polite but it also had its ups and downs when Straub occasionally took a jab at Lorelai's young age or the way that she and Rory lived. The night was simply planned, drinks, dinner and desert. At least that's how Lorelai thought it would be, simple, it was except for the fact that Rory wouldn't go anywhere near anyone but Luke and herself. Rory quite happily ran around and would follow the others but seemed to make sure she was at least two meters between them at all times. When it had almost reached the end of the night she seemed to let her guard down and walked a little closer to Emily as she showed her Lorelai's old room and the nursery that they had made for her. As they entered the nursery Rory spotted a pale blue, caramel and cream coloured bear. Her eyes locked on it and she was off, she ran straight to the cot that held it and she immediately tried to climb in to get to it. When all attempts failed she turned to Emily and said the first words she had said all night, "Please can you help me Gra-ma." Rory topped it off with the pout she had learnt from her mum.

When Emily saw that pout it took her back and she was standing in her own daughters room, telling her that she couldn't do this or couldn't do that. She snapped into action mode and walked over to where Rory was standing and reached into the cot and pulled it out. When Rory had it held firmly in her hands she started hugging it. When she looked up she knew that if her mum was there than she would get told off. Just like magic Lorelai was standing in the doorway, giving Rory a look as Luke walked up behind her.

Rory turned back around from where she had been looking at Lorelai to look at Emily and did as she knew should have done before, she said, "Thank you Gra-ma" Rory moved to hug Emily's legs but obviously Emily had a different idea and bent down, getting a firm grip on Rory's waist Emily brought her up and started to bring Rory in to her chest. All went okay until Rory's chest hit Emily's and she flipped out.

First of all she got this look that, she had gotten this look only once before, it was her freak out look. Luke realized it immediately, he pushed his way passed Lorelai and was standing behind Rory when she started to kick and scream, pounding her fists into Emily's chest. Luke couldn't find any way to get a hold of her without in some way hurting her or having himself get hurt so he fumbled and fidgeted, trying to find an opening or a break in the madness.

Rory was so deep in her freak out that she didn't even notice Luke standing behind her and did as her instincts told her to do, she screamed, "DADDY! DADDY!" Rory hollered over and over until she was seized from behind and turned around to be facing Luke's face. She cried into his shoulder as he paced the room, rocking her and shushing her.

The other three occupants of the house came bounding up the stairs in complete panic.

"What's wrong?" Richard asked.

"It's okay dad, Rory just freaked, she doesn't like anyone touching her unless she says so. It's kinda been that was since the Chris incident." Lorelai assured him

All eyes turned on Rory as she cried out, "Daddy, don't let them hurt me."

All Luke did was shush her more and pace more, rubbing her back as he went.

"And, what, may I ask is that all about?" asked Francine as she pointed over to where Luke was with Rory.

"That is her, post breakdown caused by your son traumatizing her." Lorelai replied bitterly.

"No, I was here for the prior explanation but now I want to know is why on gods green earth she is calling him daddy."

"Well, maybe because he is her daddy." Lorelai replied with anger dripping from her tone. "Maybe it's because he was there for everything and didn't just abandon us."

Francine looked on at the scene in amazement as Luke seemed to calm Rory further. This amazement was short lived as Francine turned back to Lorelai and relayed her feelings, "Well the child needs to learn who her father is Lorelai, I knew you would be a bad mother."

Lorelai was now fuming, "Who do you think you are lady, I raised my daughter pretty much on my own, except for when Luke helped and she is a great kid. Ad you know what, you are right, she does need to know who her father is and she does, her father is Christopher. I thank god every day for giving me him so that he could give me her but that is simply what he did, he helped me to make her. Luke has helped me to MAKE her that person she is today. He is her Dad and all that matters is that she knows just how much we love her and she does so excuse us, and tell Chris I said 'Hi' next time you see him."

With this Lorelai pushed past Francine, Straub and Richard and started walking towards the door from her place upstairs.

Luke moved to follow but was stopped when Rory rose her head for the first time that night, only to ask a question to Emily.

"Gra-ma, can I keep my teddy?" she asked.

Emily nodded and picked up the teddy from where it had been dropped on the floor and handed it to Rory, "Anything you want and his name is Mocha." Emily read from the tag.

When Lorelai, Rory and Luke were outside near his truck Lorelai turned to Lukea dn asked a question she was sure she knew the answer to, "How did you know she was going to freak?"

"I just knew." Luke replied.

Luke was brought out of his thoughts by more small cries and whines. He looked down to find Rory slightly jumping up towards him, he didn't know how sturdy the old cot was so him quickly scooped her up and hugged her to him.

Luke noticed shortly after that as per usual Rory was clutching Mocha with one hand while the other lay across his back. As he paced her felt her lye her head on his shoulder and he knew that all hopes of getting her to sleep right then was out of the question so he looked down at her and spoke in his husky voice, "What you wanna do baby?"

Rory looked up at him, considering things obviously and then answered as she always did, "Can I have bot-bots and watch Sleep bewty?" she stumbled. Even though she was amazingly smart she still talked like a three year old.

"Sure Baby girl." Luke replied, unable to deny her anything.

Luke quickly made her a bottle of milk and put in the Sleeping Beauty tape and then went to lye down next to her. Rory however had other plans as she climbed on his chest and lye suckling on the plastic teat of her bottle and watching the movie as she drifted off to sleep.

When Lorelai returned, the sight before her made her smile so wide it hurt her cheeks. Luke was lying on his back with one arm behind his head and the other around Rory as she slept on his chest, one hand full of Luke's flannel and the other clutched to Mocha's arm for dear life.

Lorelai ran over and grabbed the candid photo camera and quickly snapped a couple shots before she shuffled through them and settled on a cute one to hang on the reception desk of the Independence inn where she worked for roughly 10 hours a day. She knew it would draw some 'ooh's' and 'ahh's' from people who went behind there daily.

When Lorelai was finished with this she quickly changed into her pyjamas and climbed into bed with her family, she continued to think the thoughts that had been running through her head all night, 'how did Luke know she needed him' and 'why couldn't he just be Rory's father as well?'

As Lorelai pondered this it all just clicked together, he just knew. To the other question though she had no idea. She figured that it would come to her later but she just knew that he knew. It was the sign that they had a bond, Rory and him. It was a sign, it was the fourth sign.