Hey guys I am so appreciating all the great feedback you are giving me! I hope you continue to enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it. I have some tweaking to do on the next chapter but it should be up at some point tomorrow, possibly tomorrow night at some point and if not definitely by Saturday morning! But for now read this chapter and then drop in a review! THANKS!
Lorelai and Luke were sitting in the living room as he attempted to get her to eat something. She was curled up in the corner of the couch with a blanket draped over her shoulders and Paul Anka resting his head on her legs as she stared at the plate of Eggs and bacon Luke had set down on the coffee table.
"You really need to eat something Lorelai. It might make you feel better…" Luke whispered trying to help her.
She shook her head, "I don't think I could keep anything down…"
He sighed, "Come on…just try and eat something. Please? I mean you didn't eat dinner last night so…"
Luke caught himself and sat up straighter, he looked at her nervously and noticed that she was staring down the hallway. "It figures the one time I attempt to actually cook something this happens…"
Luke looked down at his hands; it was too painful to look at her. "Lorelai…"
"Chris was always nagging me because I didn't cook. He always wanted to know how Rory and I survived for so many years when I could barely boil water." She licked her lips and looked back at him with a sad smile, "I guess if I had told him you were the one feeding me for all those years this may have happened sooner…"
He lifted his head to look at her; he was starting to feel at a loss for words on what to say to her about everything. They had discussed so much in the last twelve hours, more than he had expected but he felt like the reality of the situation was finally starting to sink in. They hadn't had much contact in the last few months, and the little contact they did have was usually awkward or fueled by anger and regret.
Just as he was opening his mouth to say something, they heard a car pull into the driveway. Luke watched as Lorelai seemed to tense and freeze in her spot. He stood up quickly and walked to the window with Paul Anka hot on his heels, pushing aside the blinds he checked to see if he recognized the car. He watched as the Police Officer exited his own car to see who was approaching. When Rory's car pulled up behind the first car, Luke knew who was about to step out.
"So who is it? Chris or my parents?" Lorelai asked from her spot on the couch.
Luke watched as Richard and Emily exited their car and approached the police officer, "Your parents…"
Lorelai took a deep breath and pulled the blanket off of her, "Okay…"
He turned his head to look at her slowly, "Okay?"
She stood up and folded the blanket before placing it on the arm of the couch. "Well its not like I can hide from them forever." She glanced over at him and smirked, "You still have time to run you know…"
Luke turned to give her his full attention, "I told you I'm not going anywhere."
Shrugging she pulled at the sleeves of her shirt and smiled playfully at him, "Alright. Can't say I didn't give you an out at least."
He rolled his eyes and walked back around the couch to stand beside her, "I'm not going anywhere." He repeated again.
Lorelai couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him as she heard the front door open. She heard her daughter saying something to her parents but at the moment, it didn't matter. All she cared about was that despite everything that had happened, everything that she and her parents had put this man through he was still standing beside her.
"Mom?" Rory called from the foyer as she walked into the living room, "Are you up for some visitors?" She asked as they stepped closer to her.
Emily and Richard followed Rory and stopped when they saw Lorelai and Luke standing together. Lorelai's face was turned so they couldn't see the bruises but when she finally turned to face them, no one could pretend they hadn't heard Emily gasp in shock.
"Uh…hi Mom. Hi Dad." Lorelai whispered nervously, "What brings you here?" She tried to joke suddenly feeling incredibly uncomfortable given the situation.
No one spoke for a moment, all eyes seemed to be on Lorelai and she felt her cheeks begin to burn with shame and embarrassment. She kicked at the ground nervously and opened her mouth to speak again before her fathers voice pulled her back to reality.
"I will hire the best lawyer I can find and make sure that he never comes near you again. We'll have the divorce finalized as soon as possible. Don't you worry about a thing Lorelai, I'll take care of it all." He said in a smooth, dignified voice.
Lorelai lifted her head to stare at her father; it felt strange to hear him talk this way. She thought back to the night she had told her parents that she was pregnant with Christopher's child. Despite their disappointment she couldn't remember her father looking the way he did right now or sounding the way he did. She remembered how he said Christopher's name that night, how it came easy to him. It hadn't gone unnoticed by her or anyone else that Richard seemed unable to speak the mans name here and now.
"Dad I-" She started to say.
Richard took two strides closer to her and shook his head, "You don't have to say anything."
"But-" She lifted her hand to reach for him but instinctively pulled it back as if she had been burned. "I-"
Richard shook his head again, "Lorelai…this is unforgivable. You will get a divorce and a restraining order and that's all there is too it."
Lorelai stared up at the man she called her Father, it felt strange to her to be standing in this room with him. She would never pretend that she had an easy relationship with either one of her parents. It had been difficult since the day she had been born and proved that she did not under any circumstances fit into their idea of what life should be. For so long she could remember she had tried her best to rebel against their ideas of whom they thought she should be.
Fighting them seemed to come so naturally to her because its what she had done for so many years. Fighting with her Mother was the easiest because they both knew how to push each other's buttons. However fighting with her father always proved to be a little more difficult. They had both said and did things over the years that hurt one another but she had always felt that her father had accepted her a little more than her Mother did. He didn't have to say anything usually; just an understanding nod of approval often let her know that he did in fact love her.
But here in this moment as she looked into her Father's eyes she could see the love that she had craved for so many years. "Dad…" Her voice betrayed her as it cracked with emotion and she felt her knees begin to give out underneath her.
She could feel Luke reacting behind her as he went to grab a hold of her, but somehow Richard beat him too it. She felt herself being pulled close by two strong arms she hadn't felt in a long time. She breathed in the familiar scent of her father's cologne, the same one he had used since she was a child and the tears instantly began to fall again.
Richard held her against his chest and took a deep breath trying to compose himself. "It's alright Lorelai. Everything is going to be alright…"
She could feel herself begin to grip her father back, feeling like if she let go the world would fall apart around her. She couldn't help but think of how many times she had wanted her father to say those exact words to her over the years but instead had been greeted by silence.
Luke stepped back realizing he should let Lorelai have this moment with her Father. He knew how much she craved that love and attention from her parents that she never usually got. He couldn't deny the fact that it had been pure instinct to reach out to her when he sensed she was beginning to crumble again. How often had he been the shoulder for her to cry on over the years? Even before they had started a relationship, he was always there when she needed him and that had made him feel special. Over the last few months he hadn't been that guy and it hurt him to know that she had been hurting without him. He did wish that right now she was leaning on him but he also knew just how important it was for her to feel supported by her parents as well.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped aside and walked towards Rory and Emily. He noticed the tears in Rory's eyes and wondered if they were from sadness or if she was crying because she too understood how much her Mother had actually needed this. But he also noticed that Emily hadn't even moved from her spot beside her Granddaughter, she looked frozen in time, he wasn't even sure if she had blinked.
"Uh…" He whispered holding his arm out towards the kitchen, "Does anyone want some coffee?"
Rory turned her head to look at Luke and smiled, "Sure. Come on Grandma. Let's go into the kitchen…"
Emily let her gaze turn away from the scene in front of her and she nodded absentmindedly as Rory led her out of the room. Luke followed behind them and hoped things would continue to go smoothly, despite the fact that he had promised Lorelai he would say he couldn't pretend he wasn't nervous about seeing the Gilmores again.
Once the other three were gone, Lorelai took a few deep breaths as she tried to pull herself together again. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes, gasping in pain when she rubbed the bruise on her face.
Richard sighed and rubbed her shoulders gently, "Better?"
Lorelai slowly lifted her eyes to meet his, "I'm really glad you're here Dad…"
Richard set his lips in a tight line and nodded, "Of course."
Suddenly feeling tired; Lorelai slowly detached herself from the comfort of her Father's arms and sat back down on the couch. Richard hesitated for just a moment before sitting down beside her; he stared at the plate of untouched breakfast in front of him.
"Did Luke make that for you?" He asked, unable to think of anything else to say.
Lorelai smiled and pulled her feet up under legs in a pretzel like position. "Yes. He tried to get me to eat but I wasn't feeling so hungry…"
Richard nodded in understanding and looked down the hall to look at his wife who Rory had sat down at the table. "It was very good of him to come here and help you and Rory…"
Lorelai's smile widened, "Well he's a very good guy…"
Richard turned his attention back to her and studied the bruise on her face; "I guess your Mother and I have a poor judge of character sometimes…"
Lorelai sighed and let her eyes travel over her fathers aging face, "Maybe you were just blinded by the glitz and glamour of your life. You forgot just forgot to stop and see the important things for a while…"
He nodded and looked down at his hands, which were resting on his knees, "Maybe. Or maybe we just wanted to see what the rest of the world expected us to be."
"Which was what?" Lorelai asked curiously.
He smiled sadly before looking back at her, "Perfect."
Lorelai smiled back, "There is no such thing as a perfect family."
"No. I suppose there isn't." Richard said with a chuckle, "Lord knows we are far from it."
They let the comfortable silence envelop them for a few moments as they listened to Rory and Luke rummage around in the kitchen. Lorelai shifted slightly and looked back at her father trying to understand how he must be feeling and what he must be thinking.
"Can I ask you something?" Lorelai asked softly.
Richard turned back to her and nodded his head slowly. "Sure."
She licked her lips and took a deep breath, "When you found out I was pregnant with Rory…" She paused and shrugged, "Did you really expect me to marry Christopher and live happily ever after?"
Richard smiled at his daughter and shook his head, "No."
"Well then why were you so insistent on it? Even all these years later it was all you ever wanted." Lorelai questioned.
Richard sighed, "I suppose I just wanted to make sure you were going to be okay Lorelai. I guess I thought if you, Christopher and Rory could be a family everything would work out."
"Everything between me and Christopher or everything between you, mom and me?" She asked softly.
"The later…" Richard said with a sad glance. "I thought maybe it would bridge the gap between us all somehow."
Lorelai let his words sink in before she looked down at her hands in her lap, "Dad…I just want you to know that I don't hate you or Mom."
Richard smiled and lifted his large hand to take in her small one, "Well good. Because I want you to know that we never hated you either Lorelai."
She nodded and continued to stare at their now joined hands, "I guess I just wanted you to accept and respect me…"
"Lorelai…" Richard said in a soft voice, she turned back to meet his gaze and waited for him to speak again. "I want you to know that you have made me very proud to be your father. I should have said that years ago but I wasn't brave enough…"
"Dad…" She whispered as she gave his hand a squeeze.
He shook his head to silence her, "The way you raised Rory all on your own still amazes me everyday. I don't know how you did it…how you managed to make it look so effortless and still do it better than your Mother and I did with all the help we had…" He shrugged, "I'll never understand how you did it. And then on top of that you built your own business from the ground up. And what's more…you are a good person. A better person than I ever have been and ever will be…and for that I am incredibly honored to call you my Daughter." He finished his last few words with a rough, emotion filled voice that shot right through to her heart.
Lorelai swallowed the growing lump in her throat and chuckled softly, "Well man…where you been hiding that all old man?"
He laughed sadly and leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss atop her head, "We will fix this Lorelai. I will fix this."
Lorelai breathed her father in once again and smiled as she moved to rest her head against his shoulder. She felt him squeeze the hand that he still held and for the first time in a long time she felt like a little kid again finally getting the Father she had always wanted.
Back in the kitchen, Rory leaned against the counter as she watched her Grandmother sit and stare off into space from her seat at the table. She was aware of Luke moving around her as he prepared coffee and tried to find some food to offer everyone. She couldn't imagine how nervous or uncomfortable he must be feeling at the moment and yet he was still here by their side.
Pushing herself away from the counter, she walked over to Emily and held out a cup to her, "Do you want some Grandma? Luke makes the best coffee on the East Coast."
"Just the East Coast?" Luke teased trying to break the awkward tension.
Rory looked back at him and smiled, "You have some slight competition in Seattle I hear."
Luke rolled his eyes, "Great."
Rory smiled back at him before turning back to her Grandma, "It might make you feel better…"
Emily reached up and took the cup without even looking up at her. Rory stepped back towards the counter and looked over at Luke who seemed at a loss of words. She was just about to say something to him when she heard Emily's voice reaching across the kitchen.
"I'm sorry Luke." She said in a strained voice.
Rory looked at Luke out of the corner of her eye and noticed as he stood up straighter and turned his attention to the woman before him, "Oh uh…you don't have too-"
Emily lifted her head and looked directly at him. "I was unfair to you." She paused and took a sip of her coffee. "For all these years you have taken care of my daughter and granddaughter when I didn't and Christopher didn't…You were the one who made sure they were safe and well taken care of and I didn't see that. Or maybe I just didn't want to see it…"
Luke shifted nervously where he stood, "Emily you really don't-"
"I can't understand how Christopher would do something like this. But I realize now that I gave him too much credit over the years. If he had wanted to be with Lorelai he would have made it happen long before now. He could have manned up and done the right thing despite Lorelai refusing to marry him. He could have provided for Rory but he chose not too." She glanced down at her coffee nervously, "And yet you had no obligation…no reason to help them and you still did. Why is that?"
Luke let her words sink in and he waited until she looked back at him, "I don't know." He whispered.
Emily smiled faintly, "Well I do." She stood up and walked all the way over to him. "It's because you're a much better man than Christopher ever was or ever will be."
Luke stared at her for a moment, he wasn't sure what to say or how to react. This was not how he pictured his reunion with the Gilmores to go. Of course he never expected to be in this current situation but hearing Emily Gilmore speak so highly of him was a strange and overwhelming feeling. He had expected her to come in here and ignore him completely and yet she had proven him wrong. Just has he had proven her wrong…
He took a deep breath before responding, "Thank you Emily."
She nodded slowly and then took another sip of her coffee before turning back to Rory. "You were wrong Rory. I've had coffee on the East Coast, West Coast and everywhere in between and this is the best cup I've had in my lifetime." She looked back at Luke and smiled, "What's your secret?"
Luke shrugged, "I'm taking it to the grave."
Emily smiled slyly, "As you should…"
She turned slowly and walked out of the kitchen leaving a smiling Rory and a stunned Luke by themselves. Rory gave him a few moments before she turned back to him.
"You okay?" She asked softly as she placed a hand on his arm.
Luke chuckled and shook his head, "She's a hell of a confusing woman that Grandma of yours."
Rory smiled, "Yeah. She's a tough nut to crack…but once you do she's not so bad."
Luke smiled, "No. I guess she's not."
She nodded and reached for her own cup of coffee, "Just don't get to used to it. She'll probably have more snarky comments to come in the near future. She can't help it."
He laughed again, "I'll be on guard."
Rory and turned to walk back into the kitchen, she paused at the end of the counter before she turned back to him. "She's right you know. You are a much better man than my Father…"
Luke stared at her, unable to think of anything to say in return. But when she just smiled at him he knew he didn't need to say anything at all. He watched her walk away and then turned to reach for the third cup of coffee before walking back into the living room.
Once Rory and Luke rejoined everyone in the living room, Emily and Richard stood up and walked to the corner together. They seemed to be discussing legal matters and what to do about the current situation.
Rory took the seat that her Grandpa had occupied before and wrapped a protective arm around her Mother. "How you feeling?"
Lorelai tried to smile back, "I'm okay…just a little sore."
Rory nodded and rubbed her arm gently; "You were pretty restless in your sleep last night. I tried to wake you up a few times but you were so tired you couldn't wake up."
Lorelai nodded, "Bad dreams…"
Rory glanced at Luke out of the corner of her eye and saw how he stared at her mother with such love and adoration. "Luke said you haven't eaten anything…"
Lorelai glanced at Luke, "He does have a big mouth that guy."
Luke rolled his eyes, "Look whose talking…"
Rory laughed at them both, "Well the eggs are probably cold by now. Want me to get you something else?"
"I could call Lane and have her bring some stuff over. It is Danish Day." He said with a soft smile.
Lorelai's eyes lit up, "Really? God I've missed Danish Day…"
He scoffed, "Once again I see you miss the food more than me. I'm starting to think the only reason you dated me in the first place was to get free food at the Diner."
Lorelai rolled her eyes playfully, "Luke…we both know you rarely let me pay long before we ever got together. Being your girlfriend just meant I got first dibs on all the best treats."
"Oh so that was the bonus…" He said laughing to himself as he looked down at his hands nervously. "Glad I was good for something."
Lorelai smiled at him thoughtfully, "You were good for a lot of things Danes…"
His head lifted up towards hers again, "I'm glad you thought so." Lorelai just smiled back and he pushed himself off the chair he had been sitting on. "I'll call Lane. Be right back."
Lorelai watched as he excused himself and once again went on his way to do something to make her happy. How she had ever been able to walk away from him was beyond her. She smiled when she saw Paul Anka jump down from where he had been perched on the stairs and follow Luke down the hall. Her smile grew even wider when she saw Luke sit down at the table and reach for his cell with one hand and let his other hand affectionately pet the dog he had pretended to hate so much.
"Poor Paul Anka must be so confused…" She whispered to her daughter.
Rory let her gaze travel to where her mother was looking and she smiled at the scene, "He looks happy to see Luke."
"Yes. He does." Lorelai whispered back.
Just then, Emily appeared at her side but seemed unable to look her directly in the eye. "Your Father is on the phone with one of his Lawyer friends. They will find the best person to deal with this type of situation."
"Okay…" Lorelai said looking down at her hands, she too seemed unable to meet the elder woman's gaze.
Emily stared at the top of her daughter's head and let her eyes travel to the bruise on her face, she sighed and began to speak again. "You might feel better if you eat something."
Lorelai smiled and glanced at her quickly, "Luke is calling Lane to get us some food from the Diner. The eggs he made earlier are cold by now. I'll give them to Paul Anka in a bit."
Emily reached down and straighter her shirt out, "Oh. Okay well…" She paused and glanced up at the staircase, "What about a bath? That might help…"
Lorelai let he gaze fall upon her mother again, but for longer this time. She smiled thinking back to when she was a child and how she had often wished her Mother would be there for her bath times like most kids. However for her the Nanny was always the one to give her baths, she often felt like her Mother couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters. She made sure with Rory that she never missed any of those precious moments during her childhood.
"Sure…a bath might be nice…" Lorelai whispered.
Emily nodded slowly, "Want some help? I can draw it for you while you get ready…"
Lorelai looked up at her slowly, "That would be nice. Thank you…"
Rory watched the exchange between them and smiled, "I'll go give Luke a list of things to get us just incase he forgets what our favorite pastries are."
Lorelai stood up and smiled at her daughter, "We both know he hasn't. But you go ahead. I'll be fine."
Rory nodded and stood up to walk towards the kitchen. Lorelai looked over at her mother and then took a deep breath before walking towards the staircase. She could hear her mother take a deep breath as she moved to follow her up the stairs towards her bedroom. Once they reached the room, Lorelai walked over to her mirror and looked at her reflection again for a moment. The bruise on her face seemed to have grown larger to her and she swallowed the lump in her throat that accompanied the pain on her face.
She could hear her Mother rummaging around in the bathroom before she turned on the hot water. "The tile in here really is beautiful. It matches perfectly with this tub."
Lorelai smiled sadly and began to lift her shirt up over her head, "Luke did it all…"
Emily was silent for a moment, "I'll have to tell him what a fine job he did."
Lorelai grimaced when she saw the other bruises on her skin again, "I wouldn't. It will only remind him that Christopher was the one that benefited from his hard work."
Emily fell silent once more as she added the bubbles once the water was warm enough. Lorelai seemed transfixed by the large handprints on her hips, they seemed so unnatural to her. She felt like they were taunting her, reminding her how badly she had screwed up to get to this point.
She was so lost in thought; she didn't hear her Mother walk up behind her. "Oh Lorelai…"
She jumped at the sound of Emily's voice and grabbed a towel nearby to cover her half naked body. "Mom I-"
Emily took a few steps before she stood right beside her; she placed a hand on her shoulder and tried unsuccessfully to hold back the loud sob growing in her throat. "I am so sorry he did this to you."
Lorelai tried to think of something snarky to say back to ease the tension and to forget her own pain but nothing came to her. Instead she let out a shaky breath and looked back at herself in the mirror and watched her Mother watch her.
"I was so scared…" She whispered softly with a trembling voice. "I just…I couldn't believe that it was actually happening. It was so quick and yet it felt like it lasted for hours…"
Emily squeezed her shoulder gently; "Your Father will make sure that he never hurts you again Lorelai. Don't you worry. He knows all the best people to-"
"Deal with this type of situation." Lorelai finished for her echoing her earlier comments; she smiled at her through the mirror. "I know. You said that already." She sighed again, "I just never expected to be one of those women who find themselves in this type of situation…"
"I suppose no one ever does…" Emily whispered in response, she looked at her daughter's reflection in the mirror and then spoke again. "I should have trusted you more…"
Lorelai let her words sink in before answering, "What do you mean?"
"I should have trusted that you knew what was best for you. You thought Luke was best for you and I thought Christopher was." She shook her head and laughed sadly, "I have never been so wrong in my whole life…"
Lorelai reached up and placed her hand over her mothers, "Mom this isn't your fault…"
Emily shrugged, "I may not have lifted my hand to you but I did force the man responsible for it on you. And for that…" Another sob burst from her mouth, "I will never forgive myself."
Lorelai watched as the tears began to fall down her Mother's face. She had often pictured what it would be like if her Mother ever admitted that she had been wrong about Luke all along. This was not at all how she pictured it to be…
She had thought she would feel victorious and proud because she had proved her Mother wrong. However in this moment, she had never felt less victorious in her life. She turned quickly and pulled her Mother in for a hug and let herself once again succumb to the tears that were dying to be let out. As she stood their in her mothers arms though, she couldn't help but realize the tears they were both shedding went back a lot longer than just these few moments…
Downstairs, Rory had excused herself to call Logan to fill him in on what was happening. She had missed several calls from him and didn't want to worry him about what was going on since he was so far away. When Luke finished with Lane, he had walked back into the living room expecting to find Rory, Lorelai and Emily still there. Instead he saw Richard sitting alone on the couch with a solemn expression on his face.
He waited a moment before speaking. "Um…I made some coffee if you'd like some."
Richard turned his head slowly and smiled at Luke before pulling himself up off the couch, "Oh no thank you. I already had some this morning and unlike my Daughter my body can't seem to handle more than one cup a day."
Luke smiled, "She does have a gift that one…"
Richard chuckled, "It would seem that she does, yes." An awkward silence filled the room for another moment before Richard began to speak again. "I want to thank you for being there for my Daughter and Granddaughter."
Luke lifted his hand to wave him off, "Don't mention it."
Richard shook his head and walked closer to him, as he shoved his hands in his pockets, "No I will mention it because I know my wife and I were never all that nice to you."
"Oh you were fine." Luke said with a nervous smile, "Really. You don't have too-"
"A fathers most important job is to protect their children from all harm." He paused and looked up towards the stairs where he knew Lorelai was, "And I seem to have been unable to do that for most of Lorelai's life."
"You did the best that you could." Luke said softly.
Richard smiled again, "You are too kind Luke." He sighed, "We both know that I could have done better…"
Luke shrugged, "People make mistakes Mr. Gilmore. I mean I missed out on the first 12 years of my daughter's life. I'll never get that time back…but I'm doing the best I can for now. One day at a time…"
Richard nodded, "I suppose you are right. One day at a time is all you can really do."
Luke nodded and shoved his own hands into his pockets, "If there is one thing I do know its that Lorelai loves you very much…you don't have to worry about that."
Richard smiled sadly as his eyes welled up with tears. "Well I love her too."
Luke smiled back, "I know."
Taking a deep breath the old man pulled his right hand from his pocket and stuck it out to Luke. "You are a good man Luke Danes."
Luke smiled down at the outstretched hand Richard was offering him before he stuck out his own hand to shake it. "People keep telling me that today but I'm not sure I believe it. I'll take the compliment though."
Richard laughed as he pulled his hand away, "You should take it after all the trouble we've caused you." He paused and smiled thoughtfully, "But you should also know that you are a good man. A better man than most…" He sighed sadly, "Most men in your situation…given the history you have with both Lorelai and Christopher wouldn't have reacted so dignifiedly as you have."
Luke took a deep breath before responding with an honest and clear voice. "I love your Daughter sir. I've realized now that that is never going to change…" He laughed sadly, "Believe me I've tried to change it for years but I can't seem to shake her." He shrugged before looking him directly in the eyes. "And from now on I plan on being there for her just as I was before…no matter what happens between us."
Richard smiled, "And I know you mean what you say Luke. And believe me when I say that gives me great comfort during this difficult time."
Luke smiled back, "I'm glad to help…"
Richard nodded before looking towards the door, "Did I hear someone say something about Danishes?"
Luke laughed at the sudden topic change, "Yeah. They should be here in a few minutes. Lane is dropping them off."
Richard looked up towards the stairs, "I do hope they get here before Emily returns. I haven't had a Danish in ages and she would kill me if she saw me eating one."
Luke laughed again, "Well if she does come down before then I'll make sure to hide one away for later for you."
Richard smiled and clapped the man on the shoulder, "See…you truly are a good man."
Luke just shook his head and walked back to the kitchen to find plates for the food when it arrived. He wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen next or how they would all move past this but he did take comfort in the slight shift in the Gilmores attitude towards him. If he could gain their approval he knew that Lorelai and he could find their way out of this terrible mess. After all, finding their way back to each other would be the easy part, being liked by the Gilmore's had been a feat he never thought he'd live to see…
So what did you think? I hope you liked it :) Let me know! There is much more to come! Write a review and then keep an eye out for the next chapter which is coming soon! Thanks again! :)