Hey guys, tried to upload this last night but there was some sort of issue so I couldn't. This chapter is a little more intense than the last couple but I hope you like it. I'll try and update soon :) Thanks again for all the feedback!
Throughout the rest of the day, Emily never left Lorelai's side making sure she had everything she might possibly need. Her glass was never less than half empty; she made sure she ate as much as she possibly could. She had even sat with Lorelai after her bath and brushed her hair, something she hadn't done since she was a very small child.
At dinner time, Sookie had dropped by with enough food for a small army, which was gladly accepted. Lorelai and Sookie shared a short moment before Lorelai assured her she was being well taken care of and that she could go home to her own family. She thanked Sookie for all that she had done and promised to call her in the morning.
Once all the dishes were finished (by Luke and Emily who seemed to be getting along very nicely) they all retired to the living room. Lorelai looked completely drained as she sat on the couch and watched the people around her talk about anything except her situation.
Rory glanced at her Mother and saw just how tired she looked; taking a deep breath she looked back to her Grandparents. "It's getting late…I'm sure you guys have to get back home."
Richard sat up straighter, "We can stay."
Lorelai looked over at her father and smiled softly, "Dad you've done enough. I'll be fine. I honestly just want to go to bed right now…I'm exhausted."
Richard looked at his wife nervously, "Well…I didn't exactly bring anything with me to sleep in. I suppose we could go home, I could make some more calls there and then in the morning we can come right back."
Emily licked her lips, "Are you sure Lorelai? I can stay. It would be no problem at all."
Lorelai smiled, "I'm sure. You must be tired too…it's been a long day."
Emily stood up and walked over to Lorelai and awkwardly patted her shoulder, "Well alright then. Is there anything we can bring you tomorrow?"
Standing up, Lorelai quickly pulled her aging Mother into her arms and held her tightly, "No Mom. You just being here mean more to me than you could ever know."
Emily held her daughter back and tried not to start to cry again, "Well if you think of anything just call us."
Lorelai smiled and pulled away, "I will."
Emily walked with Rory to the front door as Richard said his own goodbyes with his daughter; he pulled her close and kissed the side of her face. "I love you Lorelai." He whispered so only she could hear him.
Lorelai's eyes burned with tears, "I love you too Dad."
He winked and kissed the top of her head before he followed his wife and Granddaughter out to the driveway. Lorelai closed her eyes as he walked away, trying to compose herself. It had been a hell of a 24 hours and she was beyond exhausted both physically and mentally.
Luke stepped closer to her slowly, "You okay?"
Her eyes blinked open and she licked her lips nervously. "Yeah…yeah I'm good."
He smiled and placed a hand on her arm, "It was nice that they came…"
She lifted her hand and wiped away a few stray tears, "It was nice." She sniffled softly, "And it seems they have taken a liking to you Mister. Especially my Mom…she couldn't stop raving about your coffee."
Luke chuckled, "My coffee does seem to have quite an effect on all the Gilmore Girls."
She laughed slightly, "If we had known that was the secret to her approval that would have saved us a lot of grief a long time ago."
Luke smiled back, "I guess it would have…"
They shared a comfortable silence together for a moment before they heard the front door close again. Rory walked back into the living room and smiled at them both as she stepped up to her mother's side.
"I practically had to beg Grandma to go home." She said with a smile, "She desperately wanted to stay."
Lorelai smirked, "She had Chanel on, she wouldn't have been willing to sleep in that. It would cause to many creases and Lord knows I don't have an ironing board." She said teasingly.
Rory rolled her eyes, "You're unbelievable."
"So they tell me." She said with a smile before she began to yawn again. "God I'm tired…I don't think I have ever been this tired."
Rory rubbed her arm gently before she looked back at Luke, "You know Luke you can run home too if you want. I'm sure you probably have a few things you want to take care of. Mom and I will be fine on our own."
Luke shook his head, "I'm fine."
Lorelai sighed and looked over at him, "Luke I really appreciate it but you can't hide from your life forever. Don't you want to check on the Diner and make sure that Caesar hasn't burnt it down?"
He smiled, "The Diner has run without me before Lorelai…"
"I know." She said with a shrug, "But you kind of just dropped everything and ran. You must be tired too…I know Jackson brought some clothes over for you but still. If you want to run home and shower or something you can…we'll be fine."
"Is this your subtle way of telling me I'm starting to smell?" He asked joking but also feeling slightly nervous at the idea that he might actually smell.
Lorelai laughed and shook her head, "No Luke. I just thought you might need a little time away from the crazy nut house."
He laughed softly before saying sincerely, "I think I've had plenty of time away from the crazy nut house…"
Lorelai looked deep in his eyes and felt her heart skip a beat when she knew what he was really trying to say. She licked her lips nervously and had to look a way from him to keep the tears from falling again.
"It's up to you I guess…whatever you want to do." She said nervously.
Rory smiled at them and then turned back to Luke, "It's really okay Luke. If you just want to run back home for even an hour we'll be all right. I promise I will call you immediately if we need you. But I doubt much will change between now and then…besides the Police are still outside."
Luke took a deep breath and looked through the window to the cop car, "I guess a shower would be kind of nice…"
Rory smiled, "Well okay then. You go do that and I'll just help Mom get ready for bed. I'm sure you won't miss anything to exciting."
He nodded slowly before turning to Lorelai as he placed a gentle hand on her arm, "You sure you'll be okay?"
Lorelai lifted her head to look at him, giving him a tiny smile. "I'll be fine. Just…just come back when you're done okay?"
He smiled back and nodded, "You got it."
Luke smiled at them both before walking around the couch and saying a quick goodbye to Paul Anka before exiting the house. Lorelai sighed and plopped down on the couch again trying to gather her thoughts from the last 24 hours. She felt so overwhelmed and yet at the same time she was beginning to feel a sense of peace rising in her again.
"Can I get you anything?" Rory asked as she sat down next to her.
Lorelai smiled and turned her head as her eyes fluttered open, "No. I'm good." She rubbed her daughters leg, "Besides, you need some rest too sweetie. I might just watch a movie or something until I fall asleep…"
Rory smiled, "Well I can watch with you. Want me to make some popcorn or something?"
Lorelai snuggled into the couch and smiled up at her daughter, "That would be great hun. Thanks."
Rory nodded and then walked towards the kitchen to find some popcorn. She threw it in the microwave and then walked around to find a bowl to put it in. She had just turned around towards the microwave when she heard the back door open. Her eyes lifted and she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who was standing there.
"Hey kid…" Christopher whispered nervously.
Rory glanced down the hall to where her Mother was waiting for her and she felt her heart start to pound in her chest. "How the hell did you get in here?"
"I saw the cop car and parked a few streets back. Walked through Babette's yard to reach the back door. I just want to talk…" He said as he stepped into the room.
Rory tried to think of how she could get to the police out front without leaving her Mom alone with her Dad again. "You need to leave. Right now."
He sighed and tried to walk closer to her, "Look I know you probably hate me right now and you have every right too. But you have to know how sorry I am."
She could feel the tears burning in her eyes as she stomped closer to him feeling ready to pounce, "You're sorry? You're sorry?" She hissed at him, "How many times have you said those exact words to me over the years Dad?"
He shoved his hands nervously in his pockets, "I don't know…"
"I've forgiven you for a lot of things Dad but this is one thing I will never be able to forgive. You need to get the hell out of here now." She said pointing to the back door.
He shook his head, "Rory I just…I got so upset. I never ever meant to hurt your Mom like that. I would never do that. I'm not that guy-"
"But you did do that and you are that guy." She said glaring at him, "You can't talk your way out of this. Everyone knows what happened, Grandpa is going to make sure you never come near Mom again."
Christopher shook his head again, "Rory your Mom and I can work through this. I know we can."
"No. You can't. And even if Mom wanted to I wouldn't let her." Rory said just as the microwave beeped signaling the popcorn was done.
"Rory, your Mom is a grown woman. She can make her own decisions and I don't think she is going to listen to her kid about relationship advice." He said rolling his eyes.
"Well if you hadn't noticed Dad…I'm a grown woman too and Mom actually values my opinion. She's taken care of me my whole life and now I'm going to take care of her to make sure she doesn't take you back." She said angrily.
"Rory I-" He started to say but was interrupted by Lorelai's voice coming down the hall.
"Hey do you think if we call Luke he will bring over some pie when he comes back? I could really go for some boysenberry pie right now with some of that home made whipped cream he makes…" She said as she walked closer.
Rory looked at her Dad and saw the light in his eyes turn from apologetic to venomous and she felt her heart leap again in her chest. She was really regretting telling Luke to go home because she knew she had no way out of this without someone getting hurt.
"Although he makes really good apple pie too and usually I can get him to melt some cheese on-" Lorelai stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Christopher standing with Rory. "Chris…"
He took a deep angry breath and crossed his arms over his chest, "Wow…how long did it take you to go crawling back to him after I left last night?"
Lorelai felt her hands trembling and she looked over at her daughter, "Rory…come here."
Rory's heart broke when she noticed the fear in her Mother's eyes, "Mom…"
"Just come here…" Lorelai said holding a hand out to her daughter, "Please come over here…"
Rory slowly walked over to her Mom and took her hand to try and steady her. She looked back over at her Father who looked angrier than she had ever seen him. She wondered if this was how he had looked the night before when he had attacked her Mother.
Lorelai watched his eyes trace the bruise on her face and then he relaxed, "Lorelai I'm really sorry and I know that what I did was terrible but I just…I hate that guy."
Lorelai swallowed hard and squeezed her daughter's hand tighter; she didn't seem to be able to find her voice again.
"I hate that you were supposed to marry him and I hate that I feel like a second choice." He said taking a step closer to her.
Rory stuck out her hand and glared at him, "You stay there."
Christopher glanced at his daughter and then back at his wife, "Can you please tell Rory that we need to talk on our own for a minute?"
Rory shook her head fiercely, "No. No way. I'm not leaving her alone with you."
He rolled his eyes, "Rory I'm not going to hurt your Mom."
She leaned closer to him and almost growled at him, "I never thought you would do this in the first place but you did. I'm not going anywhere."
He sighed and looked back at Lorelai, "Fine. Fine. We can have this conversation all together then." He stepped closer to them and ignored the fact that they both tensed up, "Where is Luke now?"
Rory glanced at her Mom and noticed she was still at a loss for words, "He should be back any minute so if I were you I'd walk away now. He's not to happy with you right now and I know that he could take you down."
He laughed bitterly, "Well I'm not so happy with him at the moment either Rory. If you have forgotten your Mother married me. She married ME and not Luke."
Rory shook her head, "She may have said the words but she didn't mean them and you know it. You know she wanted Luke and yet you still went through with it!"
He smirked at his daughter, "If she wanted Luke then why did she come to me that night Rory?"
"Because she was upset and she wasn't thinking clearly. You should have known better than to let her stay and you sure as hell should have known she wasn't ready to jump into a marriage with you." Rory said angrily.
Christopher shook his head; "Your Mom and I have known each other for a very long time Rory. We are your parents and I've always known that we were meant for each other. It's not like we jumped into this after only having known each other for a few weeks." He said rolling his eyes.
"No. Maybe not but it still doesn't mean you are right for each other. And this proves that." She said glancing at her trembling Mother, "How could you do this? How could you hurt her this way?"
"Rory there are certain things you can't understand about your Mother and I, okay? This is between us and not you." He said angrily, "If your Mother wants me to leave she can say it herself. She's a big girl, she doesn't need her daughter making decisions for her."
Rory looked back at her Mom with pleading eyes, "Fine. Mom tell him you want him to leave."
Lorelai swallowed the lump in her throat to try and find her voice, "C-C-Chris…I-I-I think you should go."
"You think I should go or you want me to go?" He asked leaning further into her.
Her breath hitched as she felt his body heat radiating against her own. "I-I-I want you to leave."
Chris stood up and took a deep breath, "Fine." He turned to walk away leaving both Rory and Lorelai in a stunned state but he stopped with his hand on the doorknob as he turned to look at them again. "So what now? What will you do now Lorelai? Have your Daddy hire the best Divorce lawyer he can find and then go back to your Diner man?"
Rory could feel Lorelai beginning to break beside her but she didn't know how to stop what she knew was coming. She felt the anger rising up in her and she wanted to scream at him, throw something, anything at him but she was afraid to leave her Mothers side.
"What are you going to do Lorelai? You going to have Burgers and Fries at your wedding? Will you carry a bottle of ketchup down the aisle with you instead of a bouquet? You gonna have a little baby who only wears flannel and a backwards baseball cap?" He said bitterly.
"Stop it." Rory said with a quivering voice as she heard her Mom begin to cry beside her. "Shut up."
"I mean Jesus Lorelai; you're really going to go back to him now? How fucking long did it take you to call him yesterday? You never answered me when I asked the first time. I'm sure he came running right over because he knew he'd never find anyone else to love him, he's such a loser hiding behind his Diner in this pathetic little town. Is this what you want? The famous Lorelai Gilmore is going to grow old in this ridiculously annoying town?" He said as his voice grew louder and louder.
"Shut up!" Rory yelled as she felt her Mom reach for the counter to hold herself up as the sobs began to wrack through her body.
"Things didn't work out with me so did you lure him into your bed last night like you did with me when you broke up with him? Is that your game?" Chris asked walking back into the kitchen, "Just go from one guy to the next? Or I guess in your case you just shuffle through the few guys that are willing to put up with your crap over and over again hoping one of these times it will work out?"
"Get out of here!" Rory yelled stepping in front of her Mother as he walked closer to them still.
"They were all right about you Lorelai. Everyone. Even back in High School when people knew I was dating you they all said you were no good. They all said I shouldn't waste my time with you but I did and then you got pregnant." He said as he nodded his head towards Rory.
"I'm serious! Get out of here!" Rory yelled as she felt her own tears beginning to burn behind her eyes.
"My Dad put it perfectly…he said you were nothing but a low class slut and you would ruin my life." He said looking around Rory to glare at Lorelai who was cowering behind her daughter as she cried. "I should have listened to him all along."
With those words Rory found her strength and pushed away from her Mom and shoved her Father back. "You shut the hell up! You don't have the right to say such things to her! She is a better person than you will EVER be! She gave up her whole life to take care of me and you could never give me more than a few days out of your precious little life!"
Lorelai watched in horror as her daughter started to pound her small fists against her fathers back as she continued to scream at him. She was so afraid that Christopher was going to snap and push back, that was one thing she didn't think she could handle. But despite the fear she seemed frozen in her spot, she couldn't seem to remember how to move her feet to reach for her daughter or to even run out front to get the police she was completely stuck.
"All I ever wanted was for you love me the way she did and you didn't!" Rory screamed as she continued to pound on his chest and any inch of him she could find. "You never cared! You never cared about either of us! You only care about yourself!"
"Rory…" Lorelai managed to choke out desperately.
"And you don't get to say a damn thing about Luke because he has been a better father than you ever were! He was there for EVERYTHING!" Rory screamed as the tears fell freely down her cheeks.
"Rory no!" Lorelai begged as she stumbled towards her daughter, she was afraid she had gone to far and that Christopher would lash back. "Rory please-"
"He took care of me when I was sick! He went to every ballet recital; he went to my High School graduation and moved me into college! He baked me birthday cakes and made me special coffee when I was cramming for exams! He taught me how to drive when Mom panicked and jumped out of the jeep because she couldn't handle me being 16! He stood by Mom whenever she needed him, he came and fixed things, fed us and protected us when you were too much of a coward to do it like you should have!" She screamed.
"Rory stop." Lorelai whispered as she tripped and grabbed onto her daughter just as she heard the front door open and heard the Police officer shuffle in. "Stop."
Rory let her Mom pull her back as she glared angrily at her father, "I hate you. I hate you so much and I never want to see you again. I wish Luke was my Father and not you! I hate you!"
Lorelai held Rory tightly as she watched the cop walk around Christopher and grasp his arms. "Shh…" She whispered in Rory's ears, "Shhh…breathe Rory breathe…"
"Are you Christopher Hayden?" The police officer asked, Chris only nodded he couldn't speak as he kept is eyes on his wife and daughter. "Christopher Hayden you are under arrest for assault and battery on Lorelai Gilmore. You have the right to an attorney-"
"I got it." Chris said as he put his hands behind his back, the cop pulled out his handcuffs and began to click them into place as Chris looked back at Lorelai, "I hope you and the Burger Boy are very happy together."
Lorelai and Rory watched as the Cop walked Christopher around them, through the kitchen and out the front door. Together they stood holding one another as they shook and cried trying to make sense of what had just happened. When the second officer walked in, Rory managed to pry herself from her mothers grasp and walked over to him to listen to what he had to say. Lorelai was vaguely aware of the fact that he was talking to Rory as she looked around her kitchen. Once again she felt incredibly uncomfortable and unsafe in her own home and she wanted to run.
After a few moments, Rory walked back over to her Mother and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm-I'm sorry I just…I saw him there and I got so angry and I couldn't stop myself-"
Lorelai snapped out of her daze and looked directly at her daughter, she reached out and pulled her up against her. "I love you Rory. I love you so much I just…I was so scared he was going to hurt you. God…"
Rory held her mother closer, "I'm okay Mom. I'm okay…we're both okay. We will both be okay. I promise…"
Lorelai started shaking again as Christopher's words began to wash over her again, "I have to get out of here…I can't stay here…"
Rory pulled away and tried to wipe her Mothers tears away, "Okay…come on."
She walked her Mom over to the kitchen table and sat her down. Lorelai watched her nervously as she ran down the hall and up to her bedroom. A few minutes later she came back down with a bag and Paul Anka at his side on his leash.
Lorelai stared at her for a moment and Rory just held her hand out to her, "Come on Mom."
Without asking where they were going, Lorelai stood up and took her hand and let her lead her out to the car. She felt Paul Anka jump onto her lap but she didn't even flinch. She heard the roar of the car engine as Rory turned the key and she watched in a blur as they pulled out of the driveway. A wave of nausea rolled over her and she had to closer her eyes to keep from falling apart again.
She buried her face in Paul Anka's fur and tried to keep the tears from falling down but she knew she couldn't. When the car stopped, Rory quickly jumped out and walked around to the other side to open her Mothers door. Paul Anka quickly jumped down and Lorelai let her daughter pull her out of the car. Through blurry eyes she was able to see that they were parked in the alley behind the Diner and she felt her eyes burn even more.
Rory wrapped her arm around her Mom and led her and Paul Anka towards the back door, which she knew would be open. She had seen Caesar's car out front and knew he would be getting ready to close up but she wanted to avoid him at all costs. She walked her mother down the dark hallway and up the stairs towards Luke's apartment.
She could hear her Mom begin to cry again as she lifted her hand to knock on the door. When Luke finally opened the door, Rory could see the fear and confusion was over his face.
"I was just coming back…what happened?" He asked as he stepped aside to let them into the small apartment.
Lorelai didn't even look at Luke; she pulled Paul Anka's leash from Rory and led him over to Luke's bed. She fell down in a heap of emotion and began to cry as Luke watched anxiously from beside her daughter.
"Dad came back…" Rory whispered as he her bottom lip trembled.
"What?" Luke whipped around and glared at Rory, "Where is he? What the hell did he do?"
Rory shook her head and wiped her tears away, "He didn't touch her." She sniffled, "He snuck in the back door, he said he parked a few streets away and walked through Babette's yard…"
Luke put a hand on Rory's shoulder, "I knew I shouldn't have left. I'm so sorry Rory. I'm so sorry. I let you down again."
Rory's heart broke as she heard her Mother's sob fill the room, "We started arguing…he just kept yelling at her about you and I begged him to stop."
"Did he hurt you?" Luke asked anxiously as he looked her over trying to find any sign of a bruise or mark on her.
Rory shook her head and looked back at her Mother, "Mom…" She sighed and stepped over to her as she sat down on the bed next to her and rubbed her back gently, "I'm so sorry Mom. I'm so sorry…"
Lorelai didn't move as she held Paul Anka close and cried into his fur. Rory reached down and pulled the blanket that was folded at the bottom of the bed up and over her. She stood up and pulled her Mom's shoes off and threw them on the ground before she walked back over to Luke.
"I'm sorry we came here like this…I just didn't know what to do." She hiccupped as the tears continued to fall. "She just wanted to feel safe and I knew she would feel safe here…"
Luke shook his head and looked back at Lorelai before he pulled Rory over to the couch to sit her down. He wanted to pull Lorelai into his arms and hold her until she stopped crying but he also knew he had to hear what had happened.
He put his hands on Rory's shoulders and leaned his head down to get a better look at her, "What did he say Rory?"
She sighed and wiped her tears away, "He just kept asking her if she was going to go back to you now…He said she was pathetic and would be stuck in this stupid town forever. He-he-he" She let out a strangled breath before whispering, "He told her everyone was right about her all along…he said she was a slut."
Luke felt the bile in the back of his throat, he wanted to run and find Christopher and pound him into the ground. It didn't matter what it would mean to his custody case with April. He needed to get to him and make sure that he never ever hurt Lorelai or Rory again.
"Rory try and take a deep breath…" He managed to get out somehow.
Rory shook her head and swiped at her eyes again, "He said all the things she's always been afraid of…I could feel her breaking beside me and I just lost it. I started screaming at him and hitting him over and over again about how much I hated him. About how much I wished you were my Father instead of him and he just stood there…he just stood there and took it. He didn't even try and tell me he loved me or that he was sorry he just-"
Luke sighed and pulled her up against his side and rubbed her back, "Rory stop…you need to stop. It's okay…"
She clung to his flannel shirt and tried to stop the tears from falling, "And then the cop was there arresting him and he was just gone…it all happened so fast."
Luke felt relief wash over him when he heard her say that Christopher was arrested. "I never should have left…I knew better. This is my fault…"
Rory whimpered and pulled back, "No…it's not. I thought we would be okay. I didn't think he would come back…"
Luke sighed and stood up to walk towards the kitchen, he found a box of tissues and brought it over to her. "He can't hurt either of you now. He's in custody okay? And I refuse to leave your side again even if your Mom tells me I start to smell." He said trying to make her smile.
Rory let out a soft laugh as she blew her nose, "Luke…"
"He won't hurt you again…" Luke said trying to assure himself more than her.
Rory took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she looked over at the trembling body in Luke's bed as she began to talk again. "I have never questioned whether my Mom loved me or not. I've always known she loved me…I've always known she never regretted me even though she had me so young…"
"Of course she doesn't regret you. You know you are the best thing that ever happened to her." Luke said sincerely.
Rory smiled trough her tears as she turned back to him. "I know. But I also know how difficult it's been for her…and I don't just mean how hard it was to raise me on her own at such a young age."
"Well then what-" He started to say as he shifted in his seat.
"I mean I know how hard it has been for her to deal with the way people talk about her. I always used to pretend that I didn't hear or see the whispers when Mom and I were around new people. I wasn't pretending for me…I was pretending for her because I knew how embarrassed she would get." Rory said sniffling again.
"She wasn't embarrassed by you…" Luke whispered to her.
Rory shook her head, "No. Not by me. Of herself. She was embarrassed to be that girl…the one people had to always talk about. She never thought she was good enough because people were always talking about her…that's where all her insecurities came from. And tonight he stood there and said everything she has always been afraid of…"
"God Rory I-" He said as he looked over at Lorelai.
"The bruises…" Rory said as more tears began to fall, "Those will fade but the words…the horrible things he said will stay with her forever. He reaffirmed everything she thought of herself and I'm not sure she will be able to get past it…"
Luke watched the rise and fall of Lorelai's shoulders as she clung to Paul Anka for dear life. For as long as he had known her he had watched her try and be the strongest woman in the world. And in reality she was the strongest woman he had ever known. She had been through more than most people but she always came back standing taller than before.
But despite that, he knew deep down Lorelai was an incredibly insecure person. He knew she was afraid that people looked at her differently because she had been a teenage mother. He knew she worked so hard to make sure that they saw more than the choices she had made as a teenager. It broke his heart to know that she couldn't see just how amazing she was, not only as a mother but also as a friend and businesswoman.
Suddenly Rory stood up and began to walk towards his apartment door, "I need to call my Grandpa. He told me to call if anything happened…and now that the cops have him in custody we will need that Lawyer sooner rather than later."
Luke stood up and followed her towards the door, "Right. Okay."
Rory stopped at the door and turned back to him, "Will you stay with her? I don't want her to be alone…I know this might be awkward to have her in your bed and I'll help you move her later. I just didn't-"
Luke shook his head and put a reassuring hand on her arm, "You aren't going anywhere. Neither of you."
Rory's lip began to tremble as she nodded, "I told him I wished you were my Father." She wiped at the few tears that fell again and smiled sadly, "I have never meant anything more in my life Luke. I really do wish it was you…" She paused before continuing, "But the more I think about it…he may be my father by blood but you did all the things he was supposed to do. You were more of a father to me than he ever was Luke…"
Luke swallowed the lump in his throat, "I wish I was your Dad too Rory…"
She smiled softly before turning again to walk out into the hallway to call Richard and Emily. Luke took a deep breath before walking through his apartment and over to his bed where Lorelai was still lying. He watched as Paul Anka lifted his head and whined, he knew he hated it when Lorelai cried. When she had been fighting with Rory after they first got him, Luke would often come home to find Lorelai crying in bed with Paul Anka at her side, his head resting on her legs as he whimpered along with her.
Luke smiled and leaned down to pat his head as he sat down beside them. "Lorelai…" He whispered to her.
After a few moments, she finally moved her face to look at him, her eyes were red and puffy and the bruise on her cheek looked agitated from being pressed against Paul Anka. "I'm sorry Luke, I'm sorry…" She managed to choke out.
Luke sighed and pulled himself up onto the bed, he leaned against the headboard and pulled Lorelai up beside him. He rested her head against his stomach and began to rub her back in soothing circles.
He felt her begin to relax against him as he held her close but the tears continued to fall, "Lorelai you have nothing to apologize for…"
She whimpered and pulled away just slightly just enough so she could see his face, "But…but Christopher was right."
Luke shook his head quickly and leaned down to her, "God no. No he wasn't right Lorelai. Not at all…"
Her lip trembled as he spoke, "But that night…that night when I left the Diner I went there. I went to him and I slept with him with your ring on my finger."
Luke grimaced and cleared his throat, "Lorelai-"
"And I married him because I was afraid even though I loved you. And then when things didn't work out with him I came running to you…I'm a horrible person." She said as the tears soaked into Luke's pillow.
"Lorelai we talked about this. We both made mistakes and yes it does hurt that you went to him that night but I know it is because I pushed you to him." Luke said leaning down to push her hair out of her face as they stuck to her tear soaked cheeks. "And you didn't come running Rory came and I would be there no matter what, you have to know that."
She lifted her hand to cling to his arm, "I'm horrible Luke. I don't deserve to have you here with me. I shouldn't be in your bed letting you comfort me…I deserved this."
Luke sighed and leaned down over her to cup her cheek, "Stop. Please stop. You did not deserve this. Christopher is a coward and he doesn't deserve you. I don't deserve you."
"This is all my fault." She pushed him away and sat up on his bed making Paul Anka scoot closer to her sensing her pain. "I did this."
Luke stood up and walked around the car and sat down beside her again, "Lorelai please…"
"I have tried for so long to prove to everyone I am more than what they see. And I tried to hard that I screwed it all up more than I already had. I know what people think of me…teenage mother…some stupid girl who got knocked up on her parents balcony." She said as she leaned forward and continued to sob.
"Screw those people Lorelai. Why do you care what people think? The people that really love you don't think that, they know how amazing you are. I know how amazing you are." He said trying to plead with her as he pulled her close.
Lorelai shook her head, "I let you come over and fix things, feed me and Rory for years. I let you be there for it all because I was selfish because I needed you but I was to afraid to admit it."
"Lorelai please…" He whispered reaching out to rub her arm. "Please stop…"
"I am so screwed up that I ruin every good thing that happens to me. I hurt everyone I care about. I can't make anything work out because I am so freaking screwed up and I always have been." She wailed into her hands.
Luke stood up and knelt down in front of her, he pulled her hands away from her face and tried to make her look at him. "Lorelai stop it. Stop this right now. Do you hear yourself? Do you? Do you hear what you are saying?"
"Luke I'm a terrible person…why? Why are you here trying to help? Why?" She said staring up at hi in disbelief.
"Because I love you." He said simply trying to get her to understand.
"But why?" She sobbed, "Why? How could you love someone like me? I am horrible."
Luke shook his head adamantly, "Do you know what I thought when I saw you for the first time?" She continued to cry and refused to answer so he spoke again, "I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I mean yeah you were driving me crazy because I was so busy at the Diner and you wouldn't leave me the hell alone but I remember thinking…how is it possible for someone to be that beautiful?"
She whimpered and shook her head trying to pull away form him, "Luke-"
"And then I got to know you and I realized you were a single Mother. I couldn't believe how hard you worked for your daughter. And you never ever complained…I remember all the nights you refused to eat because you could only afford to feed Rory." He said grasping her hands in his, "Sometimes I used to have to beg you to eat because you were always to proud to not pay. I watched you work your ass off, day and night to support Rory. And you still found time to make dresses for the school plays, and volunteer for all of Taylor's stupid town festivals."
"Luke please…" She whispered again looking away from him.
"You are always the first person to step up when someone needs help. You push me Lorelai…I used to hate it or at least I thought I did but now I realize it scared me. You pushed me to be better. You made me do all that crazy town stuff and I complained about it but I really actually loved it because it meant I got to do it with you." He said searching her tear filled eyes, "If I got to be closer to you at anytime doing anything I wanted to do it…I needed to do it. Don't you know how long I've been in love with you?"
"But you shouldn't…" Lorelai whimpered again, "I don't deserve you."
Luke sighed again, "Don't you know just how amazing you are? Don't you know how much you deserve?"
"I cheated on you…and then I married him and let him think I loved him. But I loved you…every time he touched me I pretended it was you." She laughed sadly, "What kind of person does that?"
"The kind of person who has been hurt…" Luke whispered to her, "I know that now. I was angry before…and it still hurts to think about but I know I screwed up too. No one is perfect Lorelai. No one…but no one deserves this. Especially not you."
Lorelai took a deep breath before sitting up straight to look at him, "But I want to be perfect for you…"
Luke sat up on his knees more and pulled her hands up to his lips to kiss, "You are perfect Lorelai. You've always been perfect…that's why I was too afraid to tell you how I felt for all those years. You're everything I've ever wanted I just never knew how to say it…"
She sighed as her tears started to subside, "He was standing there saying everything that I had been afraid of my whole life and I just…I couldn't even fight back."
"I know…" He whispered as he lifted his arms to rub her arms, "I never should have left…I'm so sorry."
"And then I was so afraid when Rory started to yell at him…I was so afraid he would hurt her but I couldn't move. It was like my feet were stuck in quick sand…I couldn't get her and I was so afraid…" She said shaking her head as the tears burned again.
Luke stood up and kicked his shoes off; he pushed her back on the bed and lay down beside her. "Shh…no one is going to hurt you or Rory ever again. No one."
"I'm so sorry Luke…I'm so sorry for all of it." She mumbled against his chest as he held her close. "I'm so sorry…"
Luke wrapped his hand in her hair and kissed the top of her head, "I know. I'm sorry too. But we will figure this out Lorelai…we'll figure this out. Chris is in custody now and he can't get to you or Rory again…"
"Please don't leave…" She whispered against him, "I can't do this without you. I'm just so tired but…I can't do it all without you. I need you…"
Luke pulled her even closer and kissed her head again, "I'm not going anywhere Lorelai. Never again…"
Lorelai breathed him in and tried to relax, as she felt him run his hands through her hair she felt herself finally succumb to sleep. She gave her whole body over to him as he held her close, whispering words of comfort and love to her. His voice was finally drowning out the words that Christopher had said to her and she tried to believe what Luke had said about her.
Lorelai didn't even hear the apartment door open again as Rory walked in. Luke glance over at the young girl and tried to smile as he felt Lorelai's breath even out against his chest letting him know she was finally asleep.
"Is she okay?" Rory whispered softly.
Luke shook his head as he continued to run his hands through her hair, "No. But she will be. I promise."
Rory nodded slowly, "Grandma and Grandpa are coming back first thing in the morning. He's talking to his lawyer right now…" She watched as Luke just nodded her his head not wanting to disturb Lorelai, "I uh…I really don't want to go back to the house and I-"
Luke smiled at her, "I don't think April would mind if you slept in her bed."
Rory swallowed hard, "How did this all happen?"
He sighed. "I don't know Rory…"
She nodded sadly and looked down at her Mother, "I just…I hate to see her like this."
"I know. But she's going to be okay…we're all going to be okay." Luke tried to reassure her.
Rory smiled and then turned on her heel and walked over to April's bed. She didn't even bother to change into the clothes that she had packed for herself. She kicked off her shoes and pulled back the covers just as Paul Anka jumped up on the bed to comfort her. She smiled and pulled the dog close as she looked over at the large bed and watched as Luke continued to soothe her sleeping mother. She felt drained, physically and emotionally and prayed that this would all be behind them as soon as possible.
She wanted to see her Mother happy again…and she knew the only way that would be possible would be if she was able to move on with her life with Luke. She just hoped that her father's words wouldn't hold her back any longer, she had punishing herself for her mistakes for long enough. It was finally time for her to truly be happy…
So what did you think? I hope you liked it. I will be kind of busy with Easter and visiting family but I will do my best to update as soon as possible! Thanks!