"It was no problem. I have a question though."
"What is it?"
"Have you thought about what I asked you yesterday about us being back together?"
"Woah, talk about being to the point...umm...I haven't really had time to think about it yet. Its been a busy morning."
"I..I..I'm sorry." He stutters. "I won't bug you about it or ask again."
"Its okay."
"I am glad you like the flowers and bear. I..I got to go. I'll see you at home. " He says embarrassed for asking.
"Okay, see you later."
"Bye." He says and hangs up.
He goes back to work and then later that night he goes home. It was about 5:00 p.m when he walked in the door.
Lorelai greets him at the door. "Hey you, how was your day?"
"It went good. Busy, but good. " How about you?"
"Mine was good, come look in the kitchen!" She says excitdely and grabs his hand, pulling her with him. She stops in the doorway of the kitchen and points to the table.
"Look, I put those flowers you got me in a vase with water. I didn't forget! They are still alive." She hadn't turned her head though, but did when she saw the look on Luke's face.
"Whats wrong?"
He turns her head. She looks confused and turns around. Their dog,Max, had knocked down the vase and ate most of the flowers.
Lorelai rushes over to pick up the broken glass and stabs her finger by accident.
"Ow! Ow Ow! Luke, it hurts." She whines, even though the glass barely broke skin, but it was bleeding a tiny bit. "And your flowers....I ruined them, I'm sorry."
He goes over and takes her hands in his and looks at her finger that was bleeding to make sure she was okay.
"It's not a big deal. They are just flowers. I can even get you more if you want. This wasn't your fault."
He gets a band aid from the cupboard and puts Lorelai's finger under the faucet to clean it, dries it, and then puts a band-aid on it.
"Are you okay? Like you aren't cut anywhere else?" He asks.
She stands up, holding her finger as if its broken and being very dramatic. "No, I'm okay. Thanks for the band-aid. Stupid dog, now I gotta clean all this up."
"No. Sit down. I will clean it." He says.
"Your right, I probably shouldn't clean. My finger could snap in half and blood could splash everywhere. Then you'd slip on it and break your back."
He looks at her and smiles, knowing she was being dramatic, but didn't care.
"You sit. I got this." He says and gets the dust pan and broom.
"Fine, I'll sit."
He cleans up the mess and then sits down with her.
"What's wrong?" She asks him curiously.
He shakes his head. "Nothing." He says.
"Okay...well I'm going to go get Colin and Kelsey ready for bed." She tells him and gets up from the table.
"Do you want some help?" He asks.
"No, but you could talk to Brendan."
"Sure. Talk to him about what though?"
"I don't know, just make sure things are okay between you guys."
He nods and walks up to his sons room. "Hey Bren." He says standing at the door.
"Hey dad." he greets Luke, but doesn't look at him. He just continue to get ready for bed.
"Everything going okay with you?"
"Uh huh. Did you want something?"
"I just wanted to talk to you and see what is going on."
"Well school is good, friends are good, home is okay. I think that about covers it."
"Brendan.."
"Look dad I'm really tired. Can we just talk later?" Luke nods
"Night bud."
"Night." He says and Luke closes the door and goes into Kelsey's room with Lorelai
"Daddy!" She screams with excitement when she sees him. Lorelai was reading her a story.
"Hi baby girl." He says and goes over and hugs her and kisses her cheek. "You sleep good okay?"
"I want you to stay too. Until I go to sleep."
He smiles and then looks at Lorelai. "I think mommy wants to."
"Don't be silly Luke, You should stay in here with us too."
"Okay" He says and sits on the other side of the bed. She falls asleep about ten minutes later and Luke and Lorelai get up.
Lorelai takes Luke's hand and they walk out.
"Hey, did you talk to Brendan?"
"He wasn't in the talking mood. I tried several times and then he told me he was tired and wanted to go to bed, so I let him go to bed."
"You fell for that. Luke, honey, he doesn't fall asleep till about 9. He usually lays down in his bed and watches a movie. You should try talking to him again."
He sighs "I'll try." He says and kisses her cheek.
"Don't fall asleep on me. okay?" He says, wanting to spend time with her.
She smiles. "I won't."
He smiles back and then goes down the hall to Brendan's room and knocks.
"Who is it?" Brendan questions from inside his room on his bed.
"It's dad. Can I come in?"
"Sure." He says
He comes in and sits down on his bed.
"What's going on buddy? You used to talk to me all the time."
He shuts off his TV, gets off his bed and walks around his room in a circle. "Nothing's going on. Everything fine. Why?" He lies to Luke.
"You just don't seem like yourself. You can tell me if something is going on. I can tell their is bud."
"Dad, really I'm okay. I promise." He says and gives him a smile.
"Are you sure?" He says and puts a hand on his shoulder.
He moves away so that Luke's hand can't touch his shoulder again. "Uh huh. I'm sure...but dad, can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"Can I stay home from school tomorrow?"
"Why? What's going on?"
"I don't feel well, my stomach hurts." He lies, and holds his stomach as if it hurts and walks back over to his bed.
Luke knows something is going on, but doesn't want to force him to tell him.
"Okay buddy. You can stay home, but me or mom will stay home from work with you okay?"
"Its okay, I can stay home alone."
"Okay, but I'll ask mom to stop by on her break, or I will."
"Alright, fine. But you don't have to...I can stay home by myself."
"I'd feel better if someone checked in on you and I'm sure your mother would too."
He nods
"Now get some sleep." He says and kisses his head and then goes to his and Lorelai's room.
Lorelai is wide awake when Luke comes back in with a big smile on her face. "Sooo, how'd it go with Brendan?"
"Good. We talked, but I think something is going on with him. He asked to stay home from school tomorrow, but I don't think he is sick. I think there is something going on that he wont tell us."
"I don't know. He's probably just being a kid. I faked sick all the time when I was a kid, I"ll talk to him tomorrow."
He nods. "So how was work?" He asks.
"It was good."
"Thats good." He says and smiles. "You look exhausted." He says and moves closer to her and puts and arm around her and puts an arm around her.
She yawns. "I am. Are you?"
"I'm getting there. We can go to the bed if you want to." He offers.
"I thought you said you wanted me to stay up because you had to talk to me?" She asks curiously.
"Well, I wanted to spend time with you. You know talk and what not, but you are extremely tired and I understand that. If you want to go to bed, it be okay."
"Okay...but Luke, are you and brendan okay?"
"We're fine. I just wish he would tell me what's going on." He says and they both lay down.
"He's probably afraid to talk to you."
"I don't know why he would be scared. I didn't do anything for him to be."
"He might just not want to tell you things because he's afraid you'll leave again."
"I understand that. I don't know what to do."
"Can I ask you something?"
She nods
"I'm not trying to start a fight here. Do they kids know that I didn't exactly walk out on them? I was kicked out."
"What do you mean you didn't exactly walk out on us?"
"When this whole mess happened and you kicked me out. Did you tell the kids I walked away from their lives? Because I didn't and you know it. Everytime I wanted to come over and see them, you would say it wouldn't be a good idea. I just don't want them to think I walked out. I don't want to be like Christopher or even thought of as Christopher."
"I never kept you from the kids. Ever. Why would you even say that I would do that?" She asks, sitting up and starting to get mad that he would accuse her of stopping him from seeing their kids.
"Because you did once." He says nots yelling "I jsut want them to know that I didn't walk out on them."
"They don't think you walked out on them. But I wasn't going to lie to them and say that you didn't do anything wrong."
He nods. "I know what I did was wrong." He says and lays back down. He looks at her "I know."
She calms down and lays down with him. "Then you understand that I couldn't have you stay here after what you did. I couldn't even look at you...I'm sorry to have to be so honest but I think we need to be this honest from now on with each other."
"I understand that" He says and looks at her.
"I really missed you." He says and sits up.
"I wanted to show you something." He says and grabs a catalog and its a catalog of furniture.
"I want you to pick out a new bedroom suit. Bed, side tables, dresser, the works. You can even pick out new sheets. I want you to have something new, so you don't have to have this bed because well you know and.." She cuts him off by..
She smiles a little and begins to look through the catalog. Half way through she puts it down and looks at him. "Thats really sweet Luke..but...well..after you left, I kind of...went to Sookie's house and we had...sort of a ceremonial burning of my old sheets." She says innocently and Luke just laughs.
"You sure you don't want new sheets. A new bed anything?"
"It would be nice to have new furniture, but I can't afford it right now."
"I didn't say you were paying for it. I will pay for it. Just name what you want."
"Luke we aren't married anymore, I can't just take your credit card and buy whatever I want."
He just nods. "I thought I would offer, but I don't know what you want."
"I really appreciate it. I've slept on the bed this long, I might as well stay on it until I can afford a new one."
He sighs "Okay. If thats what you want." He says
"It is, thanks."
"Well. I'm pretty tired. I'm going to go get some sleep." He says and kisses her cheek. "Goodnight." He says, laying down. He kept thinking of what she said "they weren't married anymore." Technically they were, but he knew what she meant. He wished he would get the chance to prove how much he loved her again.
"Goodnight." She whispers and rolls over, falling asleep for the night.
The next morning all the kids got up and went off to school except Brendan. Luke and Lorelai are both now in his room trying to convince him to go but he's being very stubborn.
"I don't want to go! Daddy told me I didn't have to go!"
"I know honey, but then daddy talked to me about it and I think you should go. There is no good reason why you shouldn't go."
"Yes there is!"
"Then what is it? Tell me and your dad why you don't want to go to school."
"No! Go away from me! I hate you mommy!" He yells and slaps her on the arm. Lorelai stares at her son in shock at what he just did and doesn't move. Now Luke steps in.
"Hey! You will not treat your mom that way. You were taught better then that. Now you tell me what is going on right now Brendan or you will be grounded longer than you already are going to be for disrespecting and hitting your mom."
"I don't care! I'm not telling you mom, or anyone!"
"You want to make a bet?" Luke says, still angry.
"Yeah! Because you will lose!" Brendan yells.
"Brendan, quit the smart ass attitude and tell me what the hell is going on." Luke says, really mad.
"No! I'm never going to tell!" He screams and starts flinging his arms, having a fit on his bed. Then he sits up and starts swinging his arms at both his parents.
Luke picks up Brendan and carries him to another room
"What is going on?" He says
"Is something going on at school? Is that why you don't want to go?"
He wouldn't answer.
"You can just hit people like that or swing your arms that way. What if you would have hurt your mother badly? she is pregnant you know."
"I don't care!" He yells.
Luke just gives him a look.
"I don't care! She shouldn't be having another baby! We already have enough kids! Mommy is just acting like a whore!" He screams.
"Whore? Where the hell did you hear that word from?"
"Around. I'm not dumb."
"Well I don't want to ever hear that come out of your mouth again. Your mother is not a whore."
"She is too! She had Rory when she was only 16 and then had five more kids and now she's having another baby and you aren't even its father! She is one, everyone knows it!"
"Brendan listen to me. Your mother wanted to have a big family and so we did. Thats why you have three sisters and a brother. Now I think you are old enough to hear this. Your mother didn't have sex with the other man, well she did, but was forced against her own will."
"Forced? No, I think she gave it her all."
Luke was very shocked at what his son was saying.
"Your mother was raped Brendan. I'm not sure if you know this, but Steve raped her. He literally hit your mom, tore her clothes off her and threatened to kill her if she didn't let him have sex with her. He did this numerous of times. Now do you still think she is a whore?"
Brendan starts to cry and hits his dad. "Get out of my room!" He yells at him.
"No, you need to understand this. Your mother was taken to the hospital all bruised up because of him. she doesn't deserve being called a whore."
"Go away!"
Luke just shakes his head and walks away.
"Your grounded by the way."
He then goes back to Lorelai who was crying.
"Hey. It's okay." He says taking her into his arms and holding her.
"Thats not my son. What's the matter with him?"
"I don't know, but I don't like it and he is grounded. I do not like the way he was talking to me and you and the way is was treating you."
"I'm going to take a shower." She gets up, brushing Luke off and goes into the bathroom.
"Oh. Okay. Can I at least sit here and talk to you while you shower? Or can we talk then. We need to talk about this."
"Can we talk about it later?" She asks, wanting to avoid it at all costs.
"Sure" He says knowing she won't want to talk later. "I'll be in our room."
"No, why don't you take Brendan to school. He needs to get out of this house."
"Um, okay." He says and goes to Brendan's room
"Lets go your going to school." Luke says;
"No.." Luke cuts him off.
"Now!" Luke screams and Brendan comes.
He throws his backpack in the bed of the truck and gets in the front seat with Luke. "I hate you! Why are you making me go to school?" He whines and complains.
"Because I'm the father and you are the son and sometimes things work that way. Now unless you want to tell me what is going on, then you are going to school."
Brendan huffs the whole drive there but once Luke drags him out of the car Brendan pulls on his arm. Attempting to drag him away from the school.
"Daddy please don't make me go to school today." He begs Luke, with a fear in his eyes that Luke has never seen before. Brendan looks completely terrified to go to school, which is strange because usually he doesn't mind going.