Gilmore Girls 1. Father's Day - 2009

**Author's Note: **This story takes a look at how Luke and Lorelai have spent three Father's Days, post-finale... in the years 2009, 2011, 2014.

**The Evolution of Father's Day**

**Chapter 1. Father's Day - 2009**

Luke groggily opened his eyes and glanced at the clock. 6:19 a.m. He craned his neck behind him to see if Lorelai was still in bed, but her side was empty. He closed his eyes and lay there for a minute, trying to muster the energy to get up.

Finally, he pushed the covers off, climbed out of the bed, and stretched his arms up over his head with a yawn. He walked lazily past Paul Anka cuddled up in his doggie bed in the corner of the room, and made a stop at the bathroom before heading down the hall to the newest addition to the house... the nursery.

The door was open and Luke peeked into the room. Lorelai was sitting in the rocking chair next to the crib, softly stroking baby Abigail's cheek with her thumb as she watched her gently suckling. Luke leaned against the doorframe, smiling to himself.

Five months ago, soon after Lorelai gave birth to Abigail, Luke discovered that watching her nurse the baby would soon become one of his new favorite hobbies. It was a special, peaceful moment between mother and daughter to which he loved being a spectator... they looked so beautiful, so connected.

It's been over two years since that rainy night in May 2007 when they had reconciled for good, where they admitted to each other and to themselves that they had never stopped loving each other. Over the next few days, they talked over the issues that had strained their relationship, and made promises for the future that so far had been kept. They agreed to always talk out whatever was on their minds... the trust was rebuilt, they had no more secrets.

Luke moved into Lorelai's house that summer, and they became husband and wife in October 2007. A few days later, they left for a romantic week-long honeymoon in Hawaii, a wedding gift from Emily and Richard. In April of 2008, they were elated to find out that Lorelai was pregnant. They spent the next few months remodeling the house in preparation for the baby, and on January 10, 2009, Abigail Grace was born.

Lorelai glanced over at Luke in the doorway and brought him out of his daze. "Morning," she whispered, gesturing him over to her.

"Hey," Luke replied softly as he walked over to the rocking chair.

Lorelai smiled up at him and rubbed his arm. "Happy Father's Day."

Luke smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Thanks. How's she doing?" Luke ran his finger gently across Abigail's forehead.

"She's good," Lorelai replied as she stifled a yawn. "I think she's almost done."

"I'll take her," Luke offered. "Then you can go back to sleep for a bit."

"No, it's Father's Day," Lorelai reminded him. "I'm supposed to be waiting on _you _and doing things to make _your_ day easier."

"Technically I'm _her_ father, not yours," Luke pointed out, nodding toward the baby. "So _she _should be waiting on me..."

Lorelai smiled. "Well, she's kind of lazy, so I guess that leaves me..."

"Hey, she's not gonna learn responsibility if we just do everything for her," Luke teased.

"I know... we feed her, change her, bathe her, carry her everywhere... we're spoiling her rotten."

Luke smiled. "She's gotta shape up." He kneeled down next to the chair and brushed her hair from her face. "But really, when she's done, you go back to bed. I promise to let you wait on me later..."

Lorelai smiled at him appreciatively. "Deal."

. . . . . .

Over the next two and a half hours, Luke and Abigail played with various rattling toys, read through several picture books, and went for a walk to the diner to pick up some breakfast.

Now, after changing her diaper, Luke sat on the couch in the living room with Abigail nestled in the crook of his arm. The television was on but he wasn't paying attention to it. He just kept staring at his baby girl, fascinated by everything that she did... every gurgle, every facial expression, every time she squeezed her tiny fingers into a tiny fist.

"How's my little girl?" Luke whispered as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He placed his pointer finger in her palm, and she clasped her fingers around it. Luke grinned down at her as she stared back up at him with her big blue eyes.

Lorelai slowly made her way down the staircase, freshly showered and dressed after a quick nap. She saw Luke's expression and smiled. "Aww, I love that look," she gushed as she sat down next to Luke on the couch.

"What look?"

"You've got your _'I'm completely mesmerized by my baby girl'_ look," Lorelai said as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

Luke smiled and shrugged. "Well, it's hard not to be..."

"You're so good with her." Lorelai smiled at him adoringly. "You're a natural with a baby."

"Who would've thought, right?" Luke joked.

"I knew you would be," Lorelai insisted. "You're sweet and selfless and caring... you've always made sure the people you love are taken care of. Just like with her...you do whatever it takes to make sure she's in a happy mood. You're an amazing Daddy."

Luke smiled and nodded appreciatively at her words, but didn't say anything. As he stared down at Abigail, Lorelai watched his smile transform into a pensive look, and she instantly knew what he was thinking. It was something that had come up every so often since Abigail had been born... watching his new little girl grow up made him think about the one he _didn't_ get to see grow up.

Lorelai ran her hand down his arm. "Luke," she said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...you know... " Her voice trailed off and she nibbled on her bottom lip.

Luke shook his head gently at her. "You did nothing wrong, Lorelai."

"We can talk about it again," she suggested. "Get it out."

Luke shrugged. "What's left to say? I just feel cheated."

Lorelai frowned sympathetically. "I know you do."

Luke glanced down at Abigail. "And I feel bad looking at her and thinking, 'I wish I could've done this with April'," he said. "I hate that I'm probably gonna have that in the back of my mind with all of her firsts... thinking about the things I missed out on..."

"I know," Lorelai said, nodding understandingly. "I know you're angry that you missed out on twelve years of Daddy moments. It's not fair to you..." She paused and softly stroked his cheek.

"But?" Luke prompted her, knowing she had more to say. She had said it before, and sometimes all he needed was to hear her say it again.

"But... lingering on it forever isn't gonna change anything," Lorelai pointed out. "You can constantly let that resentment be a part of everything you do with this little angel here..." Lorelai rubbed Abigail's head softly. "Or you can let it go, move on with your life, and focus on the positives."

Luke let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I know, you're right. It's just hard sometimes."

"I know it is. But you have three beautiful daughters to make memories with," Lorelai said, and Luke smiled... she never referred to Rory as his stepdaughter, it was always just daughter. Lorelai continued, "I mean, I know it doesn't make up for all that stuff you missed out on. And you have every right to feel cheated, I'm not downplaying that. I just don't want it to be something that eats at you forever and ruins the new memories you're making..."

Luke nodded. "I know..." He kissed Abigail's forehead. "I need to enjoy the moments I do get to have instead of thinking about the ones I didn't..."

"Thatta boy," Lorelai said encouragingly.

Luke smiled at her. "Thank you. You always know exactly what to say."

"Well, I'm good with the verbal thing," Lorelai agreed. "You good?"

"I'm good," he assured her. "I'm very good."

He pressed his lips to hers, and Lorelai smiled through the kiss. "Okay, good." She stood up from the couch. "You okay with her for a few more minutes while I grab breakfast?"

"Yup. We walked to the diner and picked up some muffins," Luke told her. "They're on the table."

Lorelai's eyes lit up and she gasped. "Wow. I'm starting to feel like it's Mother's Day instead of Father's Day."

"A husband's job is to make sure every day feels like Mother's Day, remember?"

Lorelai smirked. "Oh, right, that's how men _'earn the goods_.'"

"Wise words of romance from Miss Patty and Babette," Luke muttered with a slight eyeroll.

Lorelai leaned down and kissed him. "Well, you've definitely earned the goods today. Well, the _bottom_ goods... the _top_ goods still belong to little missy, here." Lorelai poked Abigail on her nose, and Luke smirked as she walked away toward the kitchen.

. . . . . .

That afternoon, Lorelai sat on the front porch with Abigail as she waited for Luke to finish up his phone call with April. She'd called to wish him a Happy Father's Day, and they started talking about the plans for her upcoming summer visit.

"Where's Mommy's girl?" Lorelai cooed to Abigail, who yawned in response. "Aww, someone's sleepy." Lorelai lifted her up to eye level and kissed her cheek. "Mommy loves you so much."

Luke walked out of the house and pulled the door shut behind him. "Okay, all done... sorry about that."

"Oh, don't apologize," Lorelai replied as she stood up. "How's April?"

"She's good," he replied, smiling. "She's excited for the summer."

Lorelai secured Abigail in the stroller at the bottom of the porch steps, and Luke filled her in on the April conversation as they walked toward the town square. Several townies stopped them to say hello and see Abigail, who had fallen asleep peacefully in the stroller minutes into their walk. They stopped at Weston's for some treats and then headed toward the gazebo.

Lorelai's cell phone began ringing in her pocket, and she quickly fished it out. She checked the caller ID, then answered the phone, "Hello, first born!" Luke sat down on the bench near the gazebo, parking the stroller next to him.

"Hi Mom," Rory replied. "What are you doing?"

"Taking Abby for a walk, which she is getting no satisfaction out of because she has been asleep for 95 percent of it," Lorelai replied, as she sat down on the bench next to Luke.

"I don't know, a nap sounds pretty satisfying to me," Rory commented.

Lorelai laughed. "Good point. What are you doing?"

"I've been working on an article all day," Rory replied. "Figured I'd take a break and make some Father's Day calls... is Luke with you? I called the house, no one answered."

Lorelai smiled. "Yes, he is, hold on." She handed the phone to Luke. "It's Rory...she wants to talk to you..."

Luke smiled as he answered the phone. "Hey, Rory..."

"Hey, Luke, Happy Father's Day," Rory said.

Luke smiled. "Thank you. How are you doing down there?"

"Oh, you know, just living the dream," Rory replied with a sigh. "Working like a dog, hoping it'll eventually lead me to my ultimate goal of a Pulitzer or a Peabody. Either one, I'm not picky."

"Keep working, you'll get there," Luke said. "You get that leak in the bathroom taken care of?"

"Yeah, the super finally fixed it a few days ago," Rory replied.

Luke scoffed. "I can't believe it took him almost 2 weeks. I'm driving down there to fix it myself next time."

"You're gonna drive all the way to Pennsylvania just to fix a leaky faucet?" Rory asked with a laugh. "Seems like a bit of an inconvenience..."

"Well, we haven't been down there in awhile, it'd be a good excuse to come visit," Luke replied. "Next time something needs fixing, let me know."

"Okay, I will, I promise..."

"You're still coming home for 4th of July weekend, right?" Luke asked. "And you better say yes, or your mother's gonna go into some sort of withdrawal." He glanced at Lorelai, who was happily eating a cookie from her bag of goodies from Weston's.

"Yes, I'll be there," Rory promised. "I wouldn't miss the Stars Hollow 4th of July Extravaganza for anything. And if I'm _not_ there, and this ends up being the year that Kirk loses a body part setting off the fireworks, everyone will blame my absence for being bad luck. So, I really have no choice..."

Luke laughed. "Yes, you'd never live that down." They chatted for a few minutes before saying goodbye, and Luke handed the phone back to Lorelai.

"Hey kid," Lorelai said. "I'll call you later tonight to catch up, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be here," Rory replied.

"It was nice of you to call for Luke," Lorelai commented, glancing at Luke. "He misses you just as much as I do."

"I miss you guys, too," Rory said. "I'll talk to you tonight. Kiss Abby for me."

"Okay. Love ya."

"Love you, Mom."

Lorelai hung up the phone and slipped it into her pocket. "So, how much longer 'til Father's Day dinner at the Gilmore house?"

Luke checked his watch. "Um, 2 hours." He glanced up and saw Miss Patti walking toward them.

Lorelai followed his gaze, and smiled as the dance teacher approached. "Hi Patti."

Miss Patti greeted them as she glanced into the stroller. "Aw, she's asleep," she whispered. "Look how precious."

"The precious-est in all the land," Lorelai replied.

"Well, I just wanted to wish a Happy Father's Day to the most attractive Daddy in Stars Hollow." Patti reached over and pinched Luke's cheek.

"Uh, thanks, Patti," Luke muttered as he moved his head away from Patti's hand.

"See you guys later..." Patti waved goodbye and headed toward the market.

Lorelai linked her arm through Luke's. "Wow, that's quite an honor, hon. Don't let it go to your head. Stay humble."

"I'll try." Luke stood up from the bench. "Wanna head back?"

Lorelai nodded and stood up. "Yup." As they headed away from the gazebo, Lorelai saw Sookie walking toward the market. "Hey Sookie!" she called.

Sookie waved and rushed over to them, greeting Lorelai with a hug. "Hey guys. How's little Princess Abby doing today?" She leaned down to look in the stroller. "Oh, she's Sleeping Beauty, I see..."

"Yeah, she's got a rough life," Lorelai replied. "Where are you off to?"

"Well, I'm trying to make Jackson lamb chops dinner, but when I took the kids shopping last night, they were all over the place in the store, and then there was the thing with the watermelons crashing, and I got all distracted, so I forgot some ingredients," Sookie explained, then quietly added, "Like, the actual lamb chops."

Lorelai smiled. "You forgot the lamb chops for the lamb chop dinner?"

Sookie nodded. "Yup. Forgot the most important part! So I hope that Doose's has some good meat - "

"_Doose_ and _good meat_ in the same sentence is creepy," Luke interjected.

" - to choose from or else we're having the marshmallow brownies, key-lime pie, and red velvet cheesecake as the main course," Sookie finished with a sigh. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Lorelai called as Sookie headed toward the market. Lorelai frowned at Luke. "She is so much better at this Father's Day stuff than I am. Should I be showing my appreciation for you by making you a home-cooked dinner and a spread of desserts?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You really think that subjecting me to your cooking skills would be the best way to show your appreciation for me?"

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Probably not... good point."

"Plus, we're going to your parents' for dinner," he reminded her, then kissed her softly and muttered against her lips, "But I do know what I want spread for dessert..."

Lorelai giggled, then feigned a gasp of shock. "Dirty!" She kissed him again, and they started walking toward the house.

. . . . . .

That evening at Emily and Richard's house, everyone was gathered in the living room before dinner. Luke and Lorelai sat on the sofa, Richard and Emily in the armchairs. Emily had taken Abigail out of her carseat the minute they'd brought her in the house and hadn't given her up since.

"So, Rory's coming home for 4th of July?" Emily asked, cradling Abigail in her arms.

"Uh, yeah, how'd you know?" Lorelai asked.

"She called earlier to wish Richard a Happy Father's Day," Emily replied. "We'd love to see her while she's in town."

"I thought you guys were going away?" Lorelai asked.

"We'll be in Martha's Vineyard the last two weeks of July and all of August," Richard replied.

"You are more than welcome to join us," Emily added. "Even if just for a few days."

Lorelai glanced at Luke. "Um, yeah, maybe. April's visiting and Luke's gonna be - "

Luke interrupted her, "Yeah, we're gonna have April for a few weeks, so... we're not really sure what we're doing yet..." He glanced at Lorelai, who eyed him curiously.

"Well, you can certainly bring her along," Emily said. "There's plenty of room. She'd love it."

"Uh, yeah, maybe. We'll talk it over and let you know," Luke replied. "Thank you."

"For 4th of July weekend, maybe we can have lunch at the inn on Sunday before Rory heads back to her place," Lorelai suggested.

"That would be lovely," Emily replied with a smile. She glanced down at the baby, then back to Lorelai. "You know, Barbara Hoffmeyer's daughter just had a baby, she's nowhere near as attractive as Abigail."

"Dreadful thing," Richard added. "Could stick her on a scarecrow to keep the birds away."

Lorelai gasped. "That's awful... you can't say that about a baby!"

Luke scoffed. "You say stuff like that all the time. If entry into hell is based on the mocking of children under two, you've got no chance for redemption."

Lorelai pouted at him, and then gestured toward her parents. "Well, now we know where I get it from. Clearly, it's in my genes."

Emily leaned close to Abigail's head and inhaled deeply. "Goodness, I just love the smell of baby."

"Yeah, we're thinking of bottling it and selling it," Lorelai said. "With all the money we spend in diapers, we gotta figure out a way to profit from her."

A few minutes later, when Abigail started getting fussy, Lorelai stood up and took her from Emily. "She may be hungry. Let me go try to feed her before we eat dinner," Lorelai said. "Can you excuse us for a little bit?"

"Of course," Emily replied. "We'll make sure dinner is kept warm until you're back."

"Thank you." Lorelai gestured to the diaper bag on the floor next to the sofa. "Luke, can you carry that upstairs for me?"

"Sure." Luke grabbed the bag and followed her up the stairs.

Emily had spared no expense in turning one of the guest bedrooms into a nursery. She was especially proud of the antique furniture set - matching crib, changing table, bookshelf, and two rocking chairs. She'd filled the bookshelf with children's books. A small chest sat next to the crib filled with baby toys. The walls were light pink, trimmed with white, and decorated with a few framed paintings of antique dollhouses. Wooden letters sat atop the mantle spelling Abigail's name.

Lorelai turned on the light and headed to the changing table. She cooed to the whimpering baby and began unbuttoning her onesie as Luke took a fresh diaper and the baby wipes out of the bag. Lorelai changed her quickly, then washed her hands in the bathroom as Luke cradled Abigail in his arms.

Lorelai sat down in the rocking chair, slipped the thin straps of her dress down over her shoulders, and gestured for the baby. "The feeding station is now ready." Luke gently placed her in Lorelai's arms and sat down in the other rocking chair as she began nursing.

Lorelai eyed Luke who was, as always, watching the baby nurse. "You know, you say it's because you like to see the special bonding thing going on here, but I'm still convinced it's just the fabulous breasts you like watching," Lorelai teased with a smile.

Luke smirked. "Nope, it's purely for emotional reasons... ya know, the bonding, the nurturing, et cetera. Big fan of that stuff."

Lorelai smiled. "Right."

"So, that was nice of your parents to give me a present," Luke commented. "Unexpected."

"Very nice," Lorelai agreed. "And you don't have to use it if you don't want to, they'll never know... I mean, how often do they see your wallet?"

"I guess often enough to know that the old one wasn't up to their standards," Luke replied with a laugh.

Lorelai shrugged. "Nothing of ours is up to their standards." She glanced down at the baby. "Except this one."

Luke smiled. "They're pretty smitten with her. Just like they are with Rory."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "It's cute how they dote on her. And she's a good buffer... Emily instantly becomes tolerable when she's got a baby in her arms." She glanced around the room. "And she sure can decorate a nursery, huh? I mean, it's different than my taste, but it's a beautiful room..."

Luke nodded as he glanced around the room. "Still can't believe she spent so much on a room that's hardly ever been used..."

"I gave up trying to find logical reasons for the ways my mom spends her money." Lorelai stared down at Abigail for a moment, then softly cleared her throat. "So, um, we need to talk something out..."

"Talk what out?"

"Why you didn't want me to mention your summer boat trip with April to my parents," Lorelai replied.

Luke sighed softly. "Because I knew what their reaction would be. They'd make a big deal about me leaving you and the baby for a week..."

"No, they wouldn't, it's only a week," Lorelai insisted. "It's not a big deal. I mean, considering I raised Rory alone for her entire life, I think I can handle a week alone with a seven month old..."

"I know _you _know it's not a big deal, but they're not you," Luke replied. "We can tell them that I asked you about it first before even suggesting it to April, that we talked about it in detail, that we've already arranged for Rory to come visit that week just in case you need help, that we'll have every neighbor within a 2-mile radius on standby in case of an emergency... but it won't stop them from making some remark that'll make me feel bad. You know, like implying that I'm abandoning you, or choosing one daughter over another, something like that. Or, they'll just look at each other and I'll know exactly what they're thinking..." Luke took a deep breath and shook his head. "I know them, Lorelai..."

Lorelai sighed softly, then reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. "I know, I'm sorry, they don't mean it... it's like an involuntary reaction..."

"I know. That's just how they are, I get that," Luke said with a shrug. "But that's why I'd rather not mention it. I don't feel like feeling bad right now, I just wanna enjoy Father's Day..."

Lorelai nodded understandingly. "I get it."

Luke rose from his chair and kneeled down in front of her. He tucked her hair behind her ear, and then cupped her cheek in his palm... she closed her eyes and leaned against his hand, concentrating on the feeling and sounds of Abigail's soft suckling.

"Remind me, Lorelai... tell me that you know it's different now," Luke whispered.

Lorelai opened her eyes and met his earnest gaze. "I know it's different, Luke. We've talked about it to death."

Luke lowered his head to her lap, resting his forehead against Lorelai's thigh. He slipped his arms around her, gently hugging her waist. She ran her fingers through his hair and softly muttered, "Hon..."

"I will never use her to push you away," Luke muttered against the soft fabric of her dress.

Lorelai slipped her hand down to his chin and tilted his head up to meet her gaze. "I know that," she said firmly. "I've known that for two years."

"I just need to make sure you never have doubts about that ever again."

"Hon, it's in the past," Lorelai assured him, stroking his hair. "You've gone out of your way to make sure I'm involved in her life, that I know everything that's happening with her. If I had any issues about the boat trip, I would've told you. I know this one-on-one time with April is not you trying to keep her from me."

Luke nodded. "Okay."

"Especially considering the fact she'll be staying with us for _four weeks_," Lorelai added. "That's not keeping her from me... that's the opposite, that's shoving her down my throat," she joked with a smile.

He smiled at her comment, then took a deep breath. "Okay..."

Lorelai glanced down at Abigail, who had stopped suckling. "That was fast... you done already?" she asked her. "Is my girl all filled?" She lifted the baby to her shoulder, and then pulled her dress up to cover herself. "The feeding station can go away now..."

Lorelai brought her gaze back to Luke, still on his knees in front of her, his hands resting on her thighs. She stroked his face with her fingers until he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

"Luke, I will always understand the need for you to spend alone time with her," Lorelai assured him. "Just like you would never question my need for alone time with Rory." She smiled and added, "Partly because you know I'd go full out ninja on you."

Luke smiled. "No doubt about that."

"So we're good," Lorelai finished up. "I promise if I have any doubts, I _will_ tell you, and we'll talk it out. That's what we do now...it's been working."

"We talk it out," Luke repeated with a nod.

Lorelai shrugged. "The magic of open communication, who knew?"

Luke smiled. "We cracked the code." He leaned closer to her and kissed her softly. "I love you..."

"I love you, too, hon," she replied.

He stood up and let out a deep breath. "So, is she done?"

Lorelai brought the baby from her shoulder to a cradling position. "Are you done, baby girl? Are you ready to go back downstairs?" Abigail gurgled in response. "I think she's done, for now at least."

Lorelai stood up and handed Abigail to Luke. She pulled her dress straps back up over her shoulders as she headed into the bathroom to check herself in the mirror.

Luke stared down at Abigail, cuddling her tightly in his arms as he rubbed her chin softly. "How's Daddy's little girl?" He pressed his lips to her forehead, kissing her gently. "Daddy loves you."

Lorelai walked out of the bathroom, smiling at him. "God, you're adorable with her. I'll never get over the cuteness of my strong muscular man holding a tiny baby."

Luke smirked. "Still manly, though, right? I have a reputation to protect."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Oh, the manliest." She kissed him, then pulled back slightly. "Question: quick Father's Day makeout session while holding our baby between us in the luxury nursery at my parents' house... is that frowned upon?"

"Not by me," Luke replied, eagerly pressing his lips to hers. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, cuddling Abigail on one side while Lorelai was pressed up against him on the other.

"No squishing the baby," she muttered against his lips.

"She's fine," Luke muttered back. His tongue sought entrance to her mouth, and Lorelai moaned softly as she granted access. Her hands smoothed over his shoulders and arms, kissing him hungrily until she finally needed to break for air. She pulled back from him, panting slightly as she immediately checked the baby, who was staring up at them contentedly nestled in Luke's arm.

Lorelai giggled. "Look at her... just sitting back and enjoying the show." She gently took her from Luke's arms. "Hi, sweet girl..." She smiled at Luke. "She's kind of awesome, huh?"

Luke smiled. "Very."

Lorelai kissed him. "Okay, back downstairs. Thanks for the makeout."

"Anytime." Luke grabbed the diaper bag, turned off the light, and followed Lorelai out of the room.

. . . . . .

That night, Lorelai was in the nursery rocking the baby while talking on the phone with Rory. After filling her in on dinner with the grandparents, Lorelai said, "We stopped at the cemetery on the way home..."

"Disturbing," Rory commented.

"To visit Luke's dad's grave." Lorelai added. "Father's Day tradition..."

"Aww, strike the previous comment, that's sweet," Rory said. "How was Luke?"

"More emotional this year than last year," Lorelai replied. "He was holding Abigail in his arms and talking to her about him, telling her about how Grandpa William would've loved to build her things for her room and teach her how to fish and stuff..." Lorelai shook her head. "It was emotional, hearing him talk like that to her. He was teary... I was crying..."

"Aww, poor Luke. What's he doing now?"

"He's out in the garage working out with his weight bench thingamabobber," Lorelai said.

"Compensating for his sentimental moment by being extra manly," Rory said knowingly.

"Yeah. Whereas I compensated for the sentimental moment by coming home and eating a donut."

"We all have our ways of coping, some are tastier than others."

Lorelai glanced down at Abigail sleeping in her arms. "I'm going to attempt to put Abby in the crib without waking her. I'll call you back later..."

"Okay," Rory replied.

"Bye, hon." Lorelai hung up the phone and set it on the chair next to her.

She stood up from the chair slowly, careful not to jostle the baby, and walked a few steps to the crib. She set her down gently on her belly, and Abigail stirred. "Shh, shh, shh," Lorelai whispered soothingly. "It's okay, baby girl... shhhh..." She rubbed her back, then pulled her hand away slightly, standing perfectly still until she was sure Abby was settled.

Lorelai turned on the baby monitor, grabbed the receiver, and tiptoed out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her. She walked down the steps, gave a quick pat on the head to Paul Anka laying next to the couch, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and then headed out the back door.

She could hear Luke grunting and the banging of weights in the garage as she approached. She walked in and saw Luke bench pressing on the weight bench, a nearby fan blowing on him to keep him cool in the stuffy garage. She stood in the doorway until he was done his set and had placed the bar back on the bench.

When he did, she walked over to him, asking, "You want me to spot ya?"

Luke clasped his hands behind his neck and smiled up at her from the bench. "Sure."

Lorelai put the water bottle and baby monitor on the floor, then straddled the bench and lowered herself until she was sitting on him. "This is how you spot someone, right?"

Luke moved his hands to her waist. "No, this is how you distract someone from their workout."

"No, _this _is how you distract someone from their workout," Lorelai corrected him as she rocked her hips and grinded her pelvis against him. "See, isn't that distracting?"

Luke groaned at the friction of her yoga pants against his thin cotton workout shorts. "I stand corrected."

Lorelai leaned forward, ducking her head under the weight bar, and kissed him softly. "I just wanted to make sure you're good..."

"I'm good," he assured her.

"You sure?"

Luke kissed her again. "One hundred percent good." He slid his hands up her shirt and caressed her back. "Except for the woman distracting me from my workout..."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay, I'll let you finish." They both sat up. She climbed off him, and picked up the baby monitor and water bottle from the floor. "Here, stay hydrated..."

"Thanks." He took the bottle, then gestured to the monitor. "Is she asleep?"

"Yup."

"Okay. I'll be done in a little while."

Lorelai smiled slyly. "You gonna come in all pumped up on endorphins and testosterone, hungry for your Father's Day dessert?"

Luke smirked. "Probably."

"Foreplay in the shower?"

"You read my mind..."

Lorelai smiled. "Gotta make sure you're very well appreciated on Father's Day." She kissed him. "You finish up... I'll be waiting in the shower."

Luke smiled. "Gee, thanks... that image isn't gonna be _too_ distracting during my workout."

"Uh, in the shower, fully dressed," she quickly added. "And reading the bible."

Luke laughed and pointed toward the door. "Get outta here..." Lorelai smiled and headed back into the house.

**...  
**

**Next Up:** Father's Day, 2011


	2. Father's Day - 2011

**Father's Day, Through the Years**

**Chapter 2. Father's Day - 2011**

"Happy Fodder's Day, Daddy," a voice whispered, stirring Luke from his sleep. He felt Abby's body leaning against his chest and her little hands on his cheeks. As he opened his eyes, he found himself face to face with his 2-year-old daughter. Abby kissed his cheek and repeated, "Happy Fodder's Day, Daddy..."

Luke smiled and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, Princess."

Lorelai was sitting next to them on the bed, and she rubbed Luke's arm affectionately. "Happy Father's Day, hon."

"Thanks," Luke replied as he sat up in the bed with Abby's arms still wrapped around his neck. He leaned over to kiss Lorelai, then turned Abby around to sit her on his lap. He kissed the top of her head and smoothed his hand over her hair.

"Here, honey, show Daddy the card you made," Lorelai said, handing Abby the piece of folded construction paper.

Abby passed the card to Luke, announcing, "I made card, Daddy."

"Did you make this for me?" Luke smiled as he opened it. He stared down at the colorful drawings that filled the inside of the card, trying to make out any familiar shapes. "Show me your pictures..."

"Rainbow," Abby pointed to the colorful lines at the top of the page.

"Wow, good job, Abs," Luke said. "What else is there?"

Abby pointed to a squiggly circle at the bottom of the page. "Panpake."

Luke chuckled. "You drew me a pancake? You are your mother's daughter."

Lorelai smiled. "She sure is. Panpake. God, she's adorable." She reached over to stroke Abby's hair as Luke continued looking over the card.

When they were done, Abby spotted Paul Anka in the corner of the room and quickly climbed off the bed, with Luke's help. "Hi Palanka," she called as she ran over to him. She sat down on the floor next to the dog and began petting him. Paul Anka had come a long way in his relationship with Abby. When she was a baby, the dog would run out of the room in terror whenever she cried, but now he was usually welcoming of her affection.

"Be gentle, Abby," Luke cautioned her. "Nice doggy." He turned back to Lorelai with a smile and patted her thigh. "How are you feeling? Everything okay?"

Lorelai placed both hands on her protruding belly and nodded. "Yup, all's well in the crockpot." She leaned back against the headboard with a smile. "Just 24 more hours to go."

"Unless he wants out today," Luke reminded her.

After a very healthy pregnancy, Lorelai was now 9 days past her due date. At her doctor's appointment last week, her doctor recommended inducing labor on Monday if she didn't go into labor naturally before then.

Luke took her hand into his and stroked it with his thumb. "You nervous?"

"I guess, a little," Lorelai replied with a shrug. She glanced down at her belly and ran her hand in circles over it. "And...it's kinda sad knowing this is probably the last pregnancy I'll ever go through. I mean, considering I was constantly reminded that I'm an old bag throughout _both_ pregnancies, I assume I'm hitting my expiration date as a human incubator."

Luke smiled. "Advanced maternal age..."

"...Is doctor code for 'old bag'," Lorelai finished. "They didn't once tell _you_ that you're at an 'advanced _paternal _age' and you're _older_ than me. Talk about sexist!"

"Well, my job in this pregnancy took a few minutes and yours took 9 months, so your age is a little more relevant than mine," Luke pointed out.

Lorelai sighed. "A valid point, I guess..."

"But, you know, we're lucky... even with the age thing, two healthy pregnancies..." He kissed her softly. "You're an amazing human incubator."

Lorelai laughed. "How sweet, thank you."

"I see Mommy shoes," Abby said from across the room. They glanced over to see that she had moved away from Paul Anka and was now playing with the buckle on one of Lorelai's shoes.

"Yes, those are Mommy's shoes," Lorelai confirmed, then turned to Luke. "What time is it?"

Luke glanced at the clock. "Almost 7:30."

"Okay," Lorelai replied. "We have lunch at Sookie's at 12, and I have to pack the bags at some point, but other than that, it's a full day of you, me, and the little princess just hanging out..."

"And when is the _big_ princess getting here?"

Lorelai smiled. "Rory's coming tomorrow morning. She's gonna stay until Wednesday, but she has to get some work done while she's here because of some Friday deadline." She scoffed. "Deadline, schmeadline, can't they postpone things like that when the journalist's mom is having a baby?"

Luke smirked. "It's blasphemy." He glanced over at Abby, who had moved on from Lorelai's shoes and was now focused on pulling clothes out of the laundry basket. "And things are all set with your parents?"

"Yes. They're picking up Abby at 6:30 tonight," Lorelai replied. "And then they'll bring her to the hospital tomorrow whenever we ask them to."

"Okay." Luke climbed out of the bed. "You wanna shower while I get her some breakfast?"

"Yes, thank you," Lorelai asked, holding out her arms. "Help, please..."

Luke walked over to her side of the bed and helped her up. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek. "I love you."

Lorelai smiled. "I love you, too." She kissed him tenderly, then headed toward the bathroom, stopping to rub Abby on the head. "Abs, you're gonna go eat with Daddy, okay?"

"Eat with Daddy," Abby echoed. "Daddy make panpakes?"

Luke smiled as he scooped her up from the floor. "You got it."

. . . . . .

That evening after dinner, Luke and Abby made a quick run to Doose's Market. When they arrived home, Abby toddled through the front door into the foyer, repeatedly calling, "Mommy?"

"Over here, baby girl," Lorelai called from the couch. "Come see Mommy."

Luke followed Abby over to the couch where Lorelai was lying. Her tank top was pulled halfway up to expose her pregnant belly, a common occurrence during the recent summer heat wave despite the blasting air condition inside the house.

"There's my little girl," Lorelai said as she struggled to sit up straight. "Did you have fun shopping?"

"Shopping with Daddy," Abby repeated. "I eat fishies."

Lorelai smiled. "Did you buy some fishy crackers?"

Abby nodded. "Fishy cackers and juice."

"And did you buy some candy?" Lorelai asked hopefully.

"Candy for Mommy," Abby repeated with a nod.

Luke pulled a pack of M&amp;M's out of the shopping bag he was holding and handed them to Abby. "Here, give Mommy her present..."

Abby handed the pack to Lorelai. "Here candy, Mommy."

"Thank you, Abs!" Lorelai pulled Abby into a hug and tickled her sides, evoking an explosion of giggles from her little girl. When Lorelai put her down, she ran over to the corner of the room to play with her toys.

Luke sat down on the coffee table as Lorelai opened up the M&amp;M's. "Thank you, I need this badly, severe craving," Lorelai said, then proceeded to pour half the pack directly into her mouth.

"You're welcome." Luke watched her, amused, as she chewed her mouthful of candy, and he wiped a bit of chocolate drool from the corner of her lip.

Once Lorelai had swallowed her mouthful, she leaned back against the couch with a sigh. Luke placed both of his hands on her stomach. "How's he doing?"

"Well, he had the nerve to complain about the lack of space again, but I was like, 'dude, you only have like 18 more hours in that womb, suck it up and stop whining.'"

Luke shook his head with feigned disappointment. "Tsk, he's just never happy, that kid."

Lorelai scoffed. "Right? He's the one that's checking out of the baby motel 10 days late, so he has no right to complain about the accommodations."

"I'll have a talk with him about that when he gets here. Other than that, you're feeling okay?"

"Yup, all is good," Lorelai reassured him as she pulled her shirt down over her belly. "Oh, April called a few minutes ago..."

"Again?"

"This time for me... she wanted to wish me good luck for tomorrow," Lorelai said with a smile. "It was sweet. She's excited for another sibling."

Luke smiled and nodded. "Yeah, she's counting down the days to her summer visit, she can't wait to meet him."

"Me too." Lorelai glanced over at Abby, who was sitting on the floor engrossed in one of her picture books. "So today is officially our last day as parents to just girls."

"Yup, it's about time we got some more testosterone in here," Luke said.

"Yes, finally someone to help you with the manly things like taking out the trash and making my meals," Lorelai replied.

Luke smiled. "So, are we all set for tomorrow? Bags are packed? Arrangements are made?"

"Yup. My hospital bag is packed, Abby's overnight bag is packed for my parents..." Lorelai checked the time. "...who will be here in twenty minutes. And Babette's gonna check on Paul Anka tomorrow." Lorelai glanced over at Abby, then back to Luke. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," Luke replied.

Lorelai pointed to Abby. "Bring me that beautiful bundle of love so I can cuddle with her before she leaves."

Luke smiled. "You bet." He walked over to Abby. "Abs, you wanna read with Mommy and Daddy? Let's get some books..." He helped her pick out a few books, and they walked over to the couch.

"Read books, Mommy," Abby said, placing a book on Lorelai's lap. "I want monkey book."

"Yes, ma'am," Lorelai replied as she opened up the book with the monkey on the cover.

They were still reading a little while later when there was a knock at the front door. "Come in," Lorelai called.

They heard the door open, and Emily's voice called, "Come in? You just let anyone waltz right into the house when they knock? What if I was a burglar?" Emily and Richard walked through the foyer to the living room.

"I've told you, Mom, this is Stars Hollow," Lorelai replied. "People don't burgle here."

Luke stood up from the couch with Abby and walked over toward the Gilmores. "Look who's here, Abby...say hi..."

"Hi Gamma," Abby said to Emily.

Emily grinned. "Hello there, Abigail."

"And who's that?" Luke asked, pointing to Richard.

"Gampa," Abby replied. "Hi Gampa."

Richard had a tendency to turn into mush whenever he was in Abby's presence. "Hello, Abigail..." He tickled her in the crook of her neck and she giggled instantly, cocking her head to the side. "Ah, still ticklish, I see..."

"I tickle Gampa," Abby said, reaching for him. Luke leaned her closer and Abby poked Richard in the chest with her pointer finger. "Tickle tickle."

Richard chuckled. "Uh oh, you got me, Abigail. You tickled me. I'm gonna tickle you now..." As he started to reach toward her, Abby giggled again and buried her face against Luke's shoulder. She glanced at Lorelai, still on the couch behind them. "Mommy, Gampa tickle me!"

Lorelai smiled. "Yes, I saw that." She pushed herself up slowly from the couch and walked over to them. "Because when you think of Richard Gilmore, you think, _yeah, he looks like he enjoys a good tickle fight_. Happy Father's Day, Dad."

"Thank you, Lorelai," he replied with a nod.

"Lorelai, how are you feeling?" Emily asked.

"Great," she replied with an affirmative nod. "Feeling really good. Just tired and hot..."

"Yes, I bet it's awfully uncomfortable to be pregnant in this heat wave," Emily said, then glanced around as she rubbed her arms. "Although it seems you're addressing that issue by putting the air conditioner on the Alaskan setting. I'm surprised Abby hasn't developed pneumonia yet."

"So, uh, thanks so much for taking her tonight," Luke said quickly, trying to curtail any comebacks from Lorelai to Emily. "It's a huge help."

"Yeah, we really appreciate it," Lorelai added. "And especially for driving out here to get her."

"Of course, it's not a problem at all," Richard replied.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Luke asked them.

"No, we'll get out of your hair and let you get ready for tomorrow," Richard said. "Are her things ready to go?"

"Oh, yeah, the bag's at the top of the steps," Lorelai replied.

"I'll get it," Luke said, and he turned to pass Abby to Lorelai. "Here, say your goodbyes."

As Luke headed upstairs, Lorelai sat down on the couch and hugged her daughter tightly. "You're gonna go sleep at Grandma and Grandpa's big house tonight, in your special pink room. And what's Mommy gonna have tomorrow? What's gonna come out of her belly?"

"Baby," Abigail replied with a proud nod. "Mommy get new baby."

Lorelai smiled. "That's right, Mommy's gonna have a baby, and then Abby will come see him, okay?"

Abigail nodded. "I play with baby."

Lorelai smiled and hugged her again, pressing kisses to her cheek. "I love you, sweet girl... you be good for Grandma and Grandpa..." Lorelai felt tears forming in her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. "Mommy will see you tomorrow..."

Luke came down the steps with Abby's bag, and Richard reached for it. "Here, I'll take it."

"Thanks," Luke replied as he handed it off. He looked at Lorelai, who was hugging Abby tightly like she never wanted to let go. "All set?"

"In a minute," Lorelai muttered, burying her face against Abigail's neck.

Emily cleared her throat. "We'll wait outside by the car..." She put her hand on Richard's shoulder and led him toward the front door.

Luke sat down on the couch next to Lorelai and lightly rubbed her back. "You okay?"

Lorelai nodded as she pulled back from Abby. "Mmhmm, I'm good." She kissed Abby's cheek. "I just don't like being away from her."

"It's only one night," Luke said comfortingly. "She'll be back home tomorrow..."

"I know."

Luke stood up. "It'll be okay. Let's bring her outside..."

Abby had started to play with Lorelai's necklace, and Lorelai gently removed it from Abby's fingers. "Go to Daddy, honey..."

Abby stretched her arms toward Luke, who picked her up. She hugged his neck as he rubbed her back. "Time to go to the big house."

Lorelai stood up. "That sounds like you're sending her to prison. We need to come up with a better nickname for that house."

Luke kissed the top of Abby's head. "Daddy loves you, Princess. You be a good girl, okay?"

The three of them walked outside. Emily and Richard were standing next to the car, the back door open waiting for Abby. Luke started strapping her in the car seat.

"So, you'll keep us posted tomorrow, Lorelai?" Emily asked.

"Yes, I'm sure Luke or Rory will send you updates," Lorelai replied. "And be sure to call one of us if Abby needs anything, okay?" She glanced nervously toward the backseat. "Even if she just wants to talk to us..."

"She'll be fine, don't worry," Richard assured her. "She's never had any issues when she's slept over. You just focus on that grandson of ours, and we'll take care of Abby. Good luck tomorrow, Lorelai."

Lorelai swallowed hard, blinking back tears. "Thank you," she whispered.

Once Abby was buckled, Luke and Lorelai both kissed her goodbye, then shut the car door. As Emily and Richard said their goodbyes and got into the car, Lorelai wrapped her arms around Luke's waist and rested her head on his shoulder. As the car started pulling away, Lorelai's tears began falling.

Luke pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back soothingly. "It's okay...don't worry..."

"I'm not even sure why I'm crying," Lorelai muttered through her sniffles. "I know she's gonna be okay... I know I'll see her tomorrow..."

"Well, there's a hell of a lot of things going on right now," Luke pointed out. "Abby's gone for the night, Rory's coming home tomorrow, you're having a baby... lots of emotional things hitting you all at once..."

Lorelai lifted her head to meet his gaze. "So you don't think I'm crazy for crying right now?"

"No, that's not currently on the long list of reasons I think you're crazy," Luke replied.

Lorelai playfully nudged his stomach with her fist. "Don't mock the emotional pregnant woman."

. . . . . .

The next day, Lorelai was induced into labor at 7 a.m., and by the afternoon the newest member of the Danes family had arrived. A few hours after the delivery, as Luke sat in the hospital room with Lorelai and a sleeping baby Ryan, there was a knock at the door.

Luke walked over to open the door, and Emily and Richard stood in the hallway. Richard was holding Abby, whose face lit up when she saw Luke. "Hi Daddy!" she smiled and immediately reached for him.

"There's my girl," Luke said as he took her from Richard and kissed her cheek. "Let's go see Mommy..." As he walked toward the bed, Luke smiled back at Richard and Emily. "Come meet your grandson..."

Abby smiled when she saw Lorelai in the bed. "Hi Mommy!"

Lorelai smiled and reached her arms out to Abby. "Hi sunshine! I missed you... come give Mommy a hug."

"Gently," Luke said as he placed Abby next to Lorelai on the bed. "Be gentle with Mommy, Abby."

Lorelai hugged her little girl and kissed her cheek. "Did you have fun with Grandma and Grandpa at the big house?"

Abby nodded. "I go in big pool."

"Oh, yes, we took her in the pool today," Emily explained. "Don't worry, we put lots of sunscreen on her."

Lorelai smiled sincerely at Emily and Richard. "Thank you so much for taking her, it was a huge help, really..."

"Of course, anytime," Richard said. He and Emily were standing next to the bassinet staring down at the baby.

"He's beautiful, Lorelai," Emily commented. "Congratulations."

"Yes, congratulations," Richard said. "He looks very healthy."

Lorelai smiled. "Thank you." She kissed the top of Abby's head, then smoothed her hair. "You wanna see the baby, Abs?"

"Play with baby," Abby said, pointing to the bassinet.

Lorelai smiled. "He can't play with you yet..."

"Why?" Abby asked.

"Because he's too little," Lorelai replied.

"Little baby," Abby said.

"Let's go see him," Luke said as he lifted Abby from the bed. He moved closer to the bassinet. "There's your baby brother Ryan. Can you say Ryan?"

"Ry-an," Abby pointed to the sleeping boy.

Luke smiled. "Good girl." He brought her a little closer toward the baby, and Abby reached her hand toward the blanket that Ryan was swaddled in.

"You have to be very gentle with baby, okay?" Lorelai said. "Touch him softly...nice baby."

"Nice baby," Abby repeated. She softly stroked the blanket as if she was petting Paul Anka. "Little baby."

The hospital room door opened and Rory walked in carrying a takeout bag, surprised to see the new faces in the room. "Wow, I leave for 10 minutes and a party starts..."

Rory hugged her grandparents hello, and then walked over to Luke to greet Abby, who was still petting the baby. "Hi Abby..." Rory said softly. Abby glanced over toward the voice, and she smiled shyly when she saw Rory.

"Who's that, Abby?" Luke asked.

"Ree-ree," Abby replied.

Rory took her from Luke and hugged her. "Did you see the baby?" Rory asked her, and Abby pointed to the bassinet. "Yeah, there he is... baby's sleeping..."

"Baby seeping," Abby said, then brought her finger to her mouth and said, "Shhhh."

Everyone responded with quiet laughter so as to not to wake the baby, and Rory hugged Abby tightly. "Oh my God, you're so cute... I missed you." Rory realized she was still holding the takeout bag, and she handed it to Lorelai. "Oh, here's your sandwich, Mom."

"Thank you," Lorelai replied. "I'm starving." As she reached into the bag, she told Emily she could pick the baby up, since he would be waking soon to eat anyway.

Emily happily obliged and carefully picked him up from the bassinet. She cradled her sleeping grandson in her arms, smiling at him as she walked over to the rocking chair to sit down.

. . . . . .

Later that evening, shortly after Emily and Richard had left the hospital, Lorelai was holding Ryan on the bed as Luke was getting ready to take Abby home. Rory sat in the rocking chair snacking on cookies.

"You're sure you don't want someone here with you overnight?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, I can sleep here, Mom," Rory offered.

Lorelai shook her head. "I'll be fine. I'll have Rory here for a little while longer if I need anything, and then the nurses will be at my beck and call all night."

Luke sighed and hesitantly nodded. "Okay. Call me later to check in?"

Lorelai nodded. "I will."

Luke and Abby said their goodbyes. After they had left, Lorelai smiled at Rory. "So, alone at last...tell Mommy what's new."

Rory smiled and shrugged. "Well, as a matter of fact, a potentially interesting conversation occurred a few days ago that I've been waiting to tell you about in person."

"Aha, I knew it!" Lorelai exclaimed softly, trying not to startle the baby. "I knew you were withholding information. You had that look on your face all day. How dare you keep secrets from Mommy!"

Rory laughed. "I just didn't have a chance to tell you yet... there were people around all day, and, oh yeah, there was that little matter of you giving birth..."

"Okay, well, the baby's been birthed and everyone's gone... so, tell me now," Lorelai urged.

Rory smiled and walked over to the bed to slide in next to Lorelai. "Well... there may or may not have been a discussion about the future... about _our _future... and if we saw a potential marriage working into it..."

Lorelai gasped. "With each other, or with other people?"

Rory nudged her mother gently. "With each other!"

"And... what'd you decide?" Lorelai asked anxiously.

Rory smiled. "Well, things have been going really great. I mean, it's been almost two years since we got back together, and I've been really happy..."

"I know you have," Lorelai agreed, smiling. "Soooo?"

Rory shrugged nonchalantly. "So, I think if you were to place bets on a possible Rory/Jess engagement in the near future, you'd probably come out a winner..."

Lorelai grinned. "Really? Aww, honey, that's amazing news! I'm sorry you had to keep that to yourself all day... you must've been dying to tell me!"

"Well, I really needed to get it out to _someone_, so I whispered it to Abby earlier," Rory said. "She's a good secret-keeper."

Lorelai smiled, then shook her head in disbelief. "Oh my God, I can't believe my first baby is talking about getting engaged."

Rory rested her head on Lorelai's shoulder. "I know... I still feel 16. "

"And you still _look _16," Lorelai added. "Why don't you age? Where did you get those genes?"

"Says the woman who just gave birth and already looks like she could be on the cover of _Shape_ magazine in a bikini," Rory countered.

Lorelai laughed. "Oh trust me, I won't be wearing a bikini in a magazine anytime soon, unless it's for _Flappy Skin Weekly._" She glanced down at the baby nestled against her chest. "But totally worth it. He's pretty cute, huh?"

Rory smiled. "Very."

Lorelai sighed contentedly, then looked at Rory. "I'm so happy for you, honey... this is so exciting." She kissed Rory on the cheek. "You know what comes next, right? Ring shopping!"

Rory smiled and nodded. She was quiet for a second as she aimlessly fingered the sleeve of Lorelai's hospital gown. "So... you don't think it's too fast, right?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Only you know if it's too fast, kid. But, think of it this way... if he were to show up right now with a ring and ask you to marry him, would you hesitate? Would you need to think it over, or go make a pro/con list before you answered?"

A smile slowly formed on Rory's lips. "No."

Lorelai smiled and patted Rory's arm. "Then you found the one."

. . . . . .

Later that night, Lorelai was settled in the hospital bed with the baby sleeping in the bassinet next to her. She picked up the phone and dialed the house.

"Hey you," Luke answered. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, we're good here," Lorelai replied. "Did Rory make it home?"

"Yup, she got here a few minutes ago," Luke replied.

"Was Abby okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, we ate dinner, we drew a picture for the baby, she had a bath, we read books, and she's asleep now. And she was talking about how she wants to play with the baby."

Lorelai smiled. "Aw, she's so cute. I miss her...and you."

"We miss you, too," Luke replied. "How was your night?"

"Good. Ryan was fine, and Rory and I had a lot of catching up to do," Lorelai said. "Like, _a lot_, a lot..."

"You have gossip," Luke said knowingly. "I hear it in your voice. What's going on?"

"Well...seems like Rory and Jess have recently discussed the possibility of..." Lorelai paused for dramatic effect. "... getting engaged soon."

Luke's eyes widened. "What? Seriously?"

"Yup. They talked it out and they're both on the same page... they both see this as a permanent relationship..."

"Wow. I'm in shock," Luke replied, shaking his head in disbelief. "Were you shocked?"

"No, I kinda saw it coming," Lorelai told him. "I mean, things have been really good for them since they got back together. Plus, they're living together... seems like it was the next step. They've always had a deep connection. I think they just needed to have their own experiences for awhile and then find each other as adults."

"Yeah, I guess. Just... doesn't it seem like they're still kids?"

"Yup, they're still kids and we're still in our thirties and are able to stay up past ten without needing to caff up first."

"Ah, the good old days," Luke replied with a laugh.

Lorelai glanced over at the bassinet. "Our son is the most beautiful baby boy I've ever seen in my life."

_"_Our_ son_," Luke repeated. "I love the sound of that."

"Me, too."

"You were amazing today," Luke said sincerely. "I don't know how you do it... how you always manage to stay so calm with everything going on..."

"Drugs, hon... they're magical," Lorelai replied. "Plus, I did have a pretty awesome man supporting me every step of the way."

"We're a good team," Luke surmised. "You, me, and the Epidural."

"Yup," Lorelai agreed. "So... best belated Father's Day present ever?"

"Yeah, you're gonna have quite a time trying to top this one."

"Oh shoot, I set the bar pretty high, didn't I?" Lorelai muttered. "We may have to cancel Father's Day going forward to avoid your future gift disappointments."

"We'll just cancel the gift part of it," Luke said. "We'll just stick with those handmade cards. I kind of like those. Panpake."

"Panpake," Lorelai repeated with a laugh. "I love it."

"So, what's he doing now?"

Lorelai was staring into the bassinet. "He's sleeping but he's making this adorable pouty face," she replied. "I wonder if he's dreaming..."

"Will he be hungry soon?"

"No, I just fed him," Lorelai replied. "He should be good for a bit."

"Okay, I'll let you go try to get some sleep then," Luke said. "You need your rest."

"Okay. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning?"

"First thing," Luke replied. "Kiss him for me."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you, too. Goodnight."

...

**Next Up: **Father's Day, 2014...


	3. Father's Day - 2014

**The Evolution of Father's Day**

**Chapter 3. Father's Day - 2014**

Lorelai walked out of the living room into the kitchen, holding an almost 3-year old Ryan on her hip. "Okay, the movie's cute and all, but when I'm forced to watch the same scene 47 times in a row, it's time for me to leave the room..." She placed Ryan in his booster seat at the kitchen table, then ran her fingers through his dirty-blonde hair.

Luke was moving between the stove and the counter as he finished making dinner. "Just turn it off... it's dinnertime anyway..."

"But every time I turn it off, I get that little woo-face staring at me like I'm the devil and my poor heart can't take it. I am powerless against her woo-face." Lorelai walked over to him and batted her eyelashes. "Can you be the devil this time, please?"

"Fine, I'll be the bad guy, you set the table."

"Deal," Lorelai agreed as she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Luke wiped his hands on a dishrag, then headed toward the living room. Standing on the center couch cushion was 5 year old Abigail, singing along with the movie she'd been watching every day for weeks.

"It's dinner time, Abby," Luke announced. "Let's turn this off..."

"_Let it go, let it go,"_ she sang loudly, throwing her hands up in the air for dramatic effect. "_Can't hold it back anymoooore_..."

Luke sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "Abby?"

"Daddy, sing with me!" Abby requested before jumping back into the song. "... _turn away and slam the door. I don't care what they're going to say_...Daddy, sing!"

Luke sighed and quickly mumbled, "Let the storm rage on, the snow never bothered me anyway..."

"The _cold_ never bothered me anyway," Abby corrected him. "The _cold_, Daddy."

"Yeah, yeah," Luke replied as he picked up the remote and paused the movie.

Abby immediately frowned at him with disappointment in her big blue eyes. "Daddy, I wasn't done yet..."

"It's dinner time, go wash up," Luke said, pointing toward the kitchen. "And if you're good, I'll make you an Olaf out of mashed potatoes."

Abby's eyes widened and she gasped, then jumped off the couch and took off toward the kitchen. Luke followed behind her.

Lorelai was setting the table, and smiled at them as they walked into the room. "Whoa, someone's happier than I was expecting..."

"Daddy's gonna make me a mashed potato Olaf!" Abby exclaimed excitedly.

Lorelai smiled. "He is? That's very nice of Daddy..." She nodded approvingly at Luke. "Impressive bribery."

Luke smirked, then said, "Abby, hands, please."

Abby rushed to the sink and climbed up on the step stool to reach the faucet. Lorelai helped her wash her hands, and then Abby sat at the table across from her brother.

"Ry, you want a snowman for dinner, too?" Luke asked as he started to scoop some mashed potatoes onto a plate.

Ryan nodded. "I wanna eat snowman."

"Two snowmen, coming up," Luke announced. When he saw Lorelai frown at him, he corrected himself. "_Three_ snowmen, coming up."

Lorelai grinned. "Thank you." She took the milk out of the fridge and started pouring drinks for the kids. "So, we have lunch tomorrow at my parents' house at one..."

"Okay."

"And my mom said they can swim if they want." Lorelai placed their drink cups in front of the kids, then asked them, "Anyone wanna go swimming in Grandma and Grandpa's pool tomorrow?"

Abby gasped. "I do!"

"Me too!" Ryan replied, rocking excitedly in his chair.

"I like jumping off the diving board and making big splashes," Abby said, waving her arms wildly.

"I like to jump in and then Daddy catches me," Ryan added.

Lorelai smiled. "Sounds like the pool is a yes."

"Mommy, remember when Daddy grabbed your hand and pulled you in the water?" Abby asked, giggling. "You got your clothes all wet."

"Uh, Mommy has chosen to eliminate that moment from her memory," she replied, glaring at Luke. "But Daddy's very lucky that Mommy eventually forgave him."

Luke smirked at her. "If I recall, Mommy forgave Daddy that very night. And Daddy was very generous in his apology..."

Lorelai wagged a finger at him. "Um, but if Daddy recalls, Mommy did not reciprocate Daddy's generosity that night, so I think he learned his lesson, hm?" Lorelai looked at him pointedly, and Luke snorted a laugh. She opened the fridge and grabbed two beers. She opened them, tossed the lids in the trashcan, and set the bottles on the table.

Luke was carefully using a spoon to sculpt the mashed potatoes into snowmen. "Rory and Jess are coming tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, they're gonna meet us there." Lorelai retrieved a basket of dinner rolls from the counter, which the kids eagerly reached for as soon as it hit the table. "And then they're staying the night in the pool house because Rory has that interview on Monday in Hartford."

"Oh, right." Luke smiled. "It would be great to have them back home."

Lorelai smiled and shook her head in disbelief. "It would be _amazing_. I mean, having them in New York now instead of Philly has been an improvement, but it's still a long drive. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but she's pretty determined to try to find something closer to Stars Hollow."

"Good. She's gonna need you close by."

"Mommy, can you put butter on this?" Abby asked, waving a dinner roll toward her. "Please?"

"Us... she's gonna need _us_," Lorelai corrected Luke as she took the roll from Abby and applied a quick smear of butter on it. "Here you go."

"Thank you, Mommy," Abby replied before taking a big bite out of the roll.

"Good manners," Lorelai complimented her as she also buttered a roll for Ryan. "Here, bud."

"Fank you, Mommy," Ryan replied.

Lorelai smiled as she turned back to Luke. "So, how are they looking?"

"Just about done," Luke replied as he added a piece of carrot to each snowman for the nose. He grabbed the kids' plates and brought them to the table. "Here you go... chicken, vegetables, applesauce, and a mashed potato Olaf..."

Ryan's face lit up excitedly and Abby started giggling hysterically. "Olaf!"

"What do we say to Daddy?" Lorelai prompted them as she sat down at the table.

"Thank you, Daddy!" they responded in unison.

"You're welcome, munchkins," Luke replied, smiling at their excitement. He returned to the counter to grab his and Lorelai's plates. As he set her plate in front of her, he said, "And for my biggest munchkin..."

Lorelai cocked her head to the side. "Aww, my very own Olaf... thank you, hon."

"Anytime," Luke replied as he sat down across from her. He leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, just observing the table.

He watched Lorelai eat a forkful of food, help Ryan with his milk cup, take a sip of her beer, wipe the applesauce off of Abby's shirt, butter a roll while answering Ryan's question about where rolls come from. It always amazed him how easily she just went with the flow around her, how she always seemed to be doing ten things at once and made it appear so effortless.

"Good dinner, hon," Lorelai remarked as she offered the buttered roll toward him. "Roll?" Lorelai took note of his untouched plate and narrowed her eyes. "You're not eating... everything okay?"

Luke smiled and nodded, taking the roll from her. "Yup. Everything's great."

And it was. Dinner wasn't always this calm. The kids didn't always get along so smoothly. Lorelai wasn't always in a good mood. Hell, he wasn't either. They all had their cranky moments, bad days. But Luke had learned to take a moment every once in awhile to just sit back and appreciate how lucky he was.

. . . . . .

The next morning, the pitter patter of little feet on her bedroom floor woke Lorelai up. She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Abby standing tiredly next to the bed. Lorelai smiled and whispered, "Hi, Abs..."

"Hi, Mommy," she whispered back. "Can we make breakfast for Daddy now?"

Lorelai glanced over her shoulder to make sure Luke was still in bed next to her, then nodded to Abby. She climbed out of bed, took Abby's hand and led her out of the room, quietly pulling the master bedroom door closed behind her.

"Is your brother up?" Lorelai whispered. Abby shook her head. Lorelai peeked in the kids' bedroom to double check, and found Ryan asleep in his toddler bed, his little body pressed up against the mesh guardrail that kept him from falling onto the floor.

"Thank God that thing works," Lorelai muttered. She and Abby went down to the kitchen, and she sat Abby in one of the chairs at the table.

Lorelai took a step back and rubbed her palms together. "Okay, so what did you decide for your special breakfast for Daddy?"

"Oatmeal, banana, strawberries, and toast with peanut butter," Abby replied, ticking them off on her fingers as she listed them. "And orange juice for drink."

Lorelai smiled. "That sounds perfect. And all within Mommy's cooking abilities." She grabbed the fruit bowl from the counter and placed it on the table in front of Abby. "You pick the best banana for Daddy, I'll get the tray."

Lorelai pulled a serving tray from a cabinet and set it on the table. She and Abby began assembling the breakfast on the tray.

"Mommy?" Ryan's voice called from upstairs. "I'm up."

"I'll be right back," Lorelai told Abby, then rushed toward the staircase. Lorelai ran up the steps to the kids' bedroom, where Ryan was sitting up in his bed.

"Hi Mommy," he greeted her sleepily, stretching his arms toward her.

Lorelai smiled as she walked over to him. "How's my boy?" She picked him up and hugged him. "Did you have a good sleep?" He nodded and rested his head against her shoulder, and Lorelai kissed him. "Good. Let's go to the bathroom."

As she carried him into the hallway, she saw Luke walk out of the master bedroom. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"Get back in bed," Lorelai instructed him in a whisper.

Luke walked over to her. "What? Why?" He rubbed the back of Ryan's head. "Hey, buddy."

Ryan picked his head up from Lorelai's shoulder and rubbed his eyes. "Hi, Daddy."

"Abby's making you breakfast," she whispered. "She wants to bring it to you in bed." Lorelai smiled and kissed his cheek. "Oh, and Happy Father's Day."

Luke smiled. "Thanks. So, I guess I better, uh..." He gestured toward the master bedroom.

"Yes, you, now, get in bed," Lorelai told him, pointing toward their room. "We'll be right up."

Luke went back into the master bedroom. Lorelai helped a newly potty-trained Ryan go to the bathroom, then they went down to the kitchen. Abby was sitting at the kitchen table, licking peanut butter from a spoon. She had peanut butter on her fingers and all over her face.

Lorelai smiled as she sat Ryan down on a chair. "Having a little snack?"

"This is good," she confirmed, dipping the spoon back into the jar of peanut butter. "But very sticky."

Lorelai grabbed a paper towel, ran it under water, and proceeded to wipe down Abby's hands and face.

"Okay, we're almost done," Lorelai said. "Ab, can you get the things you made for Daddy?"

Abby nodded. She ran to the living room and pulled open the desk drawer where she had hidden two homemade cards and the coupon booklet that Lorelai had helped the kids make for Luke. She ran back to the kitchen, waving them in her hand. "I got 'em."

Lorelai placed a cup of orange juice on the tray. "Okay, we're ready." She picked up the breakfast tray and the three of them walked upstairs.

They entered the master bedroom, announcing, "Happy Father's Day!"

Luke was lying down in the bed, and he sat up as the kids ran to him. "Hey guys..." He hugged one in each arm and kissed the tops of their heads. Lorelai sat down on her side of the bed. She waited for the kids to slide off of Luke and settle on the mattress before setting the tray of food on the bed next to them.

"We made you breakfast in bed," Abby announced, pointing to the tray. "Look..."

"For Daddy to eat all up," Ryan added.

Luke smiled. "Thank you. That looks good, I'm starving."

"She planned the menu herself," Lorelai added, running her hand over Abby's back.

Abby nodded. "And we made you these." She presented Luke with their homemade cards and gift.

Luke leaned back against the headboard. "Wow, let's see..." He opened Abby's card first. He had gotten pretty good at deciphering her drawings over the years, and was able to identify all the pictures.

"You see what's on the back?" Lorelai asked with a smile.

Luke turned the card over as Abby said, "Mommy said I draw that every year for you..."

Luke smiled down at the small brown circle, then brought his gaze to Lorelai. "Panpake," he said softly.

"Panpake," Lorelai confirmed. "Father's Day tradition."

"It's called a pan-cake," Abby corrected them.

"I love it," Luke said, kissing Abby on the cheek. "Thank you, honey." He opened up Ryan's card. "Wow, what did Ryan draw for me?"

Ryan pointed to a shaded blue circle with a little blue square sticking out from it. "Daddy's blue hat."

Luke smiled. "Wow, good job, buddy." They went through the rest of the drawings, then Luke picked up the booklet they'd made.

"That's from me and Ryan," Abby explained. "Both of us."

"_Coupons for Daddy_," Luke read on the cover. He flipped the booklet open and read the first page. "This coupon is good for one very large hug."

"Whenever you want it," Abby added with a nod.

Luke chuckled and flipped to the next page. "This coupon is good for one peanut butter and jelly sandwich." Luke's eyes widened and he licked his lips. "That sounds good. I might cash that in today."

They flipped through the rest of the coupons and then they helped Luke eat his breakfast. Afterwards, Lorelai wiped down their hands and faces with a washcloth, then took them to their room to get dressed while Luke took a shower.

Once they were dressed, Lorelai brought the kids down to the living room and sat them at the coffee table with paper and crayons. "Okay, guys, two more pictures to make," Lorelai announced. "Color something for Grandpa." The kids started drawing, and Lorelai went back upstairs.

Lorelai walked into the bathroom, where Luke was still in the shower. "Want some help in there?" she called to him as she leaned against the counter.

"I have never, and _will never_, turn down that offer," Luke called back.

Lorelai giggled. "Sorry, maybe next time... they won't be distracted long enough for us to do anything worthwhile."

Luke turned off the water and pushed open the curtain. He stepped out of the shower and onto the bath mat, and Lorelai stepped toward him holding up a towel. "Fathers don't dry themselves off on Father's Day... allow me," she offered.

Luke smirked. "Don't start anything you don't have time to finish..."

"I'll be good," she promised with a sly smile. "Anyway, I don't know how you can turn a sweet, innocent woman toweling off the body of a sexy, wet, naked man into something dirty. Geez. Grow up."

Luke snorted a laugh as Lorelai draped the towel over her hands and began soaking up the droplets from his body. She started with his shoulders and chest, moving slowly over the muscles of his toned upper torso. "How's this?" she asked. "Gentle enough?"

Luke nodded as he watched her terrycloth-covered hands smoothing over him slowly, taking her time as she moved over his stomach and sides of his waist. As her hands simultaneously moved to each thigh, Luke cleared his throat. "Careful," he warned. "I don't wanna have to take _another_ shower.. a cold one..."

"Why don't you turn around?" Lorelai suggested. "Remove the temptation."

Luke complied and turned around. "I'll be over here, thinking about train crashes."

Lorelai giggled as she began drying off the back of him, starting with his hair and then gliding over the curves of his muscular back. She smoothed over his skin gently and thoroughly, making sure to catch every drop of water.

She hadn't even made it to his lower half when she said, "You know, this is actually turning me on more than I thought it would. I should've known better... it's like expecting an alcoholic to dry off a bottle of vodka but not to drink it."

Luke turned around, smiling, and took the towel from her. "Here, just let me do it." He pressed his lips to hers for a tender kiss. "But we'll, uh, pick this up another time..."

"Okay," she agreed and kissed him again. "They're downstairs making pictures for my dad... I'm gonna get in the shower."

"Will you need help drying off?" Luke teased, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

Lorelai smiled and playfully pushed him away from her. "I recognize that tree..."

. . . . . .

That afternoon, they pulled up to Emily and Richard's house slightly after one. Lorelai unbuckled the kids from the backseat while Luke retrieved their bags from the trunk. They'd bought an SUV a few years ago to replace Luke's dying truck, which was still parked in the alley behind the diner.

"We're only gonna be here for a few hours, why do we have so much stuff?" Luke grumbled.

Lorelai sighed. "The answer's the same _here_ as it was when you asked at _home_, hon," she replied. "We have a lot of stuff. Move on."

"Fine." Luke loaded all of the bags on his arms and shut the trunk.

Lorelai took the kids by their hands and led them to the front door with Luke trailing behind them. "Take turns with the doorbell. Abby, you first..." Abby rang the bell, and then Lorelai lifted up Ryan so he could ring it, too.

Seconds later, Emily opened the door and greeted them with a smile. "Hello, hello..." She leaned down to address the kids. "I knew the double doorbell ring could only mean my two favorite people were here."

"Hmph. Guess we're chopped liver," Lorelai muttered to Luke.

"Hi, Grandma," Abby said as she hugged Emily, and Ryan followed her lead.

"Hey, Mom," Lorelai said.

"Hello, Lorelai, Luke," Emily said as she stood up straight, then noticed Luke with all the bags. "Oh, Luke, you've got your hands full... come in, come in." She pulled the door open wider and they stepped into the house.

Emily led them down the foyer toward the back of the house. "We have everything set up outside." They walked out the sliding glass door onto the back patio, and Luke put the bags on one of the lounge chairs. Ryan started to wander off, so Luke followed him down the short shrubbery-lined walkway that led toward the pool. Abby stayed by Lorelai's side.

"Where's Dad?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh, he should be right down," Emily replied as she walked over to the drink cart. "Mimosa?"

"Yes, please," Lorelai replied.

Abby looked up at Lorelai. "Can I have a moomosa?"

Lorelai smiled. "Not yet, honey. Sixteen more years."

"Yes, these are for adults, but I've got apple juice for the kids," Emily replied.

Luke had a confused look on his face as he returned from the pool area with Ryan. "Uh, Emily, do you know there's some guy sitting by the pool?"

Lorelai's eyes widened and she put her arm on Abby's shoulder. "What guy?"

"Oh, that's Tanner Hawthorne," Emily replied as she handed Lorelai her drink. "He's Sylvia and Gerard Hawthorne's grandson. He's a certified lifeguard, so I hired him for the day to keep an eye on the kids in the pool." Emily headed toward the patio door. "I'll go see what's taking Richard so long."

Lorelai shrugged toward Luke and nonchalantly said, "She hired a lifeguard to sit in her backyard for the day."

"We shouldn't be surprised, right?" Luke asked.

"Now that I think about it, I'm surprised she hasn't done it _before_," Lorelai said.

"Daddy, I wanna go in the pool," Ryan said.

"Me too," Abby said, grabbing onto Lorelai's hand. "Can we go in now?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, but let's go say hi to Grandpa first, okay? Then we need sunscreen." She placed her drink on the table and headed inside in search of Richard.

As they were coming in through the back door, across the foyer the maid was letting Rory and Jess in the front door.

"Hey guys," Lorelai called.

"Rory and Jess are here!" Abby rushed toward the front door and threw her arms around Rory's waist.

"Whoa!" Rory laughed. "That's quite a greeting, little missy." She smoothed the top of Abby's head affectionately. "How are you doing?"

"We're going in the pool!" Abby replied, then moved over to hug Jess. "Jess the Mess."

"Abby Road," Jess smiled as he greeted her with his usual nickname. "You're getting taller."

Lorelai pulled Rory into a hug, kissing her cheek. "I missed you, sweets!"

"I missed you, too," Rory replied, hugging her tighter.

Lorelai pulled back and put her hands on Rory's noticeable baby bump. "Aww, my little girl is officially fatter than me."

Rory smirked. "Why, thank you, _Grandma Lorelai_."

Lorelai gasped and frowned. "Hey, now, I'm not officially a grandmother until that baby comes out."

"Well, you make the fat jokes, you get the grandmother jokes in return," Rory said with a shrug.

"Pregnancy has really upped your comeback game," Lorelai said admirably.

"Thank you." Rory smiled at Luke and stepped over to hug him. "Happy Father's Day, Luke."

"Thank you," he replied. "How are you feeling?"

Rory nodded affirmatively. "Good, feeling good. Only 3 bathroom breaks on the drive, so not too bad."

"Ah, we found everyone," a voice said from behind them, and they turned around to see Emily and Richard walking toward them. Greetings were exchanged, and everyone moved out back to the patio.

. . . . . .

As Luke and Jess took the kids into the pool, Lorelai and Rory sat on the edge of the pool with their legs in the water. Richard and Emily sat a few feet behind them in lounge chairs under the umbrella.

"So, I have something to tell you," Rory started.

Lorelai frowned. "If it's that Alice from the Brady Bunch died, I already know, and am still in mourning."

Rory shook her head sadly. "Another great one, taken from us too soon." She cleared her throat. "So, at my doctor appointment on Wednesday, they were able to tell the sex of the baby..."

Lorelai gasped. "What? We already talked about that appointment and you mentioned no such thing!"

"I wanted to tell you in person," Rory explained. "Or rather, I wanted us to _find out together_, in person..."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"We had the doctor write down the sex and put it in an envelope so I could open it here, with you," Rory explained. "I figured that since we found out I was pregnant together, we could find out the sex together, too."

Lorelai smiled, thinking back to that memorable weekend in March. At the time, Rory and Jess had been married for nearly 18 months. Jess was traveling that weekend for work, and Rory had driven to Stars Hollow for a visit. She told Lorelai her suspicions that she might be pregnant, so they bought a pregnancy test and confirmed it together. It was a special moment that Lorelai was grateful to have shared with her daughter, one she'd never forget.

"Aww, honey." Lorelai had tears forming in her eyes. "That's really sweet." She leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thank you...that's amazing..."

"Yeah, we were gonna do that thing where you give the envelope to a bakery and they make a cake with either pink or blue filling, and then you cut into the cake to find out the sex," Rory explained. "But that seemed like too much work, and plus, I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't eat the cake on the car ride here."

Lorelai laughed. "That's my girl."

Rory patted her stomach. "So, we can open the envelope after lunch and find out what this one's gonna be..."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "I can't wait."

They watched the men playing with the kids in the water, throwing the beach ball around, catching them as they jumped off the diving board. Jess pretended to be a shark and circled around them under the water, and the kids giggled with excitement when he would finally come up to the surface and scare them.

"Look at him..." Lorelai smiled at Rory and patted her leg. "He's gonna be a good dad."

Rory smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I think so, too."

"And you, missy... how could you not be an incredible mom with the wonderful example you've been guided by?" Lorelai gestured to herself. "It's like learning to paint from Michelangelo. It's like learning to wear a monocle from Mr. Peanut. It's like learning how to fix scandals from Olivia Pope."

Rory smiled. "Well, your examples are odd, but yes...I have very big footsteps to follow." She took a deep breath. "I hope I can do it."

Lorelai put her arm around Rory and pulled her closer. "You got this, kid. You're gonna be amazing."

. . . . . .

After they'd eaten lunch, Luke took the kids back into the pool. Lorelai, Rory, Jess and the grandparents sat talking at the table for a little while, and then Lorelai made her way over to the pool stairs.

"Mommy, are you coming in the water?" Abby called from the raft she was floating on.

"Mommy, come in," Ryan called as he spun around in circles in his tube.

"Yes, Mommy, please come in," Luke echoed, winking at her from where he stood between the kids.

Lorelai smiled and pulled off her t-shirt and shorts to reveal her bathing suit, and tossed her clothes on the nearest chair. She walked down the stairs into the low end of the pool, grimacing slightly as her body got used to the feel of the cool water. She quickly dunked herself completely under to get over the shock.

She popped back up, slicked her hair back, and made her way over to them. "Are you guys having fun with Daddy?"

"Watch this, Mommy," Ryan said, and then slapped his hands on the water, making little splashes all around him.

"Whoa, that looks fun!" Lorelai smiled and imitated his actions. Ryan giggled as the water splashed at him, and Lorelai gently brushed it out of his eyes.

"Mommy, watch this," Abby said. She lay across the raft with her legs in the water and began kicking her feet quickly to propel the raft forward. Luke trailed behind her making sure she didn't fall off.

"Wow, you're going fast, Abs," Lorelai called. "Be careful you don't get a speeding ticket."

The four of them played in the water for a little while until both kids started to shiver. They wrapped the kids in their towels and sat them on lounge chairs to dry off and warm up in the sun.

Luke and Lorelai stood nearby, toweling themselves off. Luke glanced over at the other end of the pool, where the hired lifeguard was looking at his phone. "You have a fan over there," Luke said. "I think he was hoping you'd start drowning so he could rescue you... he couldn't keep his eyes off of you."

Lorelai smiled and rolled her eyes. "He was watching the _kids_... that's what he's paid to do. Plus, I don't need him to rescue me... not when I have my big strong husband to save me." She ran her hands over his arms as she kissed him softly.

"That's right," he muttered through the kiss before deepening it. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him.

Lorelai brought her hands up to his neck and moaned softly through the kiss before finally pulling back from him. "You marking your territory?"

"Maybe."

Lorelai smiled. "Don't worry. Once he finds out I'm practically a grandmother, he'll lose interest."

Luke brought his hands to her waist. "Sexiest grandmother I've ever seen."

"With a sexy Grandpa to match."

Abby had climbed off the lounge chair, and she tugged on Lorelai's towel. "Mommy, can we have dessert?"

"Let's go ask Grandma if it's time," Lorelai replied.

They walked over to the table where the others were seated, and Abby headed right to Emily. "Grandma, can we have dessert now?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Abby," Richard said.

"All right, I'll ask Julie to start bringing it out," Emily said as she stood up from the table and headed into the house.

"Let's go get changed out of our bathing suits, guys," Lorelai said, then turned to Richard. "I think we're done with the pool today if you want to let the lifeguard head home, Dad."

"All right," Richard replied, standing up. "I'm glad he didn't have to rescue anyone."

"Me too," Luke replied, and Lorelai smirked at him over her shoulder. She and Luke grabbed their bags and led the kids to the pool house to change.

When they returned to the patio fifteen minutes later, there was a spread of desserts on the table.

"There they are," Emily announced. "Okay, everyone, help yourselves."

"I wanna cupcake," Ryan announced.

"I wanna cupcake, too," Abby said. "And a brownie. And pie."

"Well, looks like I'm not the only child who inherited that appetite of yours, huh?" Rory commented to Lorelai.

Lorelai laughed. "No, you're definitely not. She can give us a run for our money in food consumption."

Lorelai helped Abby with her plate as Luke helped Ryan with his, and they situated them at the table before making their own plates and sitting down.

"I can't believe he's already gonna be three next week," Rory commented, gesturing to Ryan.

"I know, right?" Lorelai smiled. "Time flies, kid. That's not just a cliché... it's the darn truth..."

"Jess, you gonna stop in to see your mom and the kids while you're in town?" Luke asked, then added, "And yes, I purposely include TJ with the kids since he still hasn't branched into adulthood."

Jess smiled. "Yeah, I told her we'd stop by tomorrow."

"We're gonna come by your place, too," Rory added. "After the interview."

"Are you all prepared for that?" Richard asked.

"Yes, I have my portfolio and references and I'm all ready to wow 'em," Rory replied. "And I had to buy a new suit."

"Is it orange?" Lorelai asked. "Because I hear that's the new black." She paused. "Or is it orphans? One of them is the new black."

Rory smiled. "I stuck with the _old_ black."

Lorelai shrugged. "I hope they don't hold that against you and think you're not up with the latest trends."

"I'll take my chances," Rory replied. "And if this opportunity doesn't work out, then I've got some contacts at other places nearby that I'll get in touch with. Jess and I really wanna be out of the city and closer to family before the baby comes..."

Jess nodded in agreement. "I can basically write from anywhere, so we're gonna go wherever Rory can find something... hopefully it'll be around here somewhere."

Emily smiled. "I think that's wonderful. It will be so good to have you home."

Lorelai cleared her throat and glanced at Rory. "So, is now a good time?"

Rory smiled. "I think so."

"Time for what?" Emily asked.

"To find out the sex of the baby," Lorelai replied excitedly. "Rory's doctor wrote it down so she could find out here, with us."

Emily gasped softly. "Well, that's marvelous."

"Yes, what a nice surprise," Richard commented.

Rory reached into her purse that was hanging on the back of her chair and pulled out a small envelope. She held the envelope toward Lorelai. "Mom, will you do the honors?"

Lorelai grinned and rubbed Rory's arm affectionately before taking the envelope. "Of course." Lorelai took a deep breath and stared down at the envelope that was labeled "Rory and Jess Mariano."

Lorelai flipped the envelope over and slowly ran her finger beneath the sealed flap until it ripped open. She looked from Rory to Jess. "You both ready?" They both nodded eagerly, and Jess reached over to hold Rory's hand. Everyone stared at Lorelai with baited breath.

Lorelai slowly pulled the piece of paper from the envelope, took another deep breath, and then opened it up. Lorelai smiled and her eyes brimmed with tears as she turned to Rory. "It's a girl... you're having a girl..." She held the paper up for her to see.

Rory exhaled the breath she'd been holding and turned to Jess. "We're gonna have a daughter." Jess smiled and kissed her.

A chorus of congratulations' flooded from around the table as a teary Rory leaned over and hugged Lorelai tightly. "My baby girl is gonna have her own baby girl," Lorelai whispered, trying to control her tears. "Congratulations, honey."

"Thanks, Mom," Rory whispered back, sniffling softly. She finally pulled back from Lorelai and took a deep breath. "Wow. That makes this seem much more real... we can stop calling it an _it_. It's a _her_."

"Not to be confused with the disturbing movie," Lorelai said. "Although I won't judge your baby if it turns out to be an operating system. A grandmother's love is unconditional." Lorelai winced and shook her head. "Ugh, there's gotta be a cooler word for grandmother."

"I can't believe they're gonna be an aunt and uncle," Luke said, gesturing to the kids.

"That sounds so strange," Rory said with a laugh. "Abby, did you know that you're gonna be _Aunt_ _Abby _soon?"

"Like an ant that crawls on the ground?" Abby asked.

"No, like a real person aunt, like Aunt Liz," Luke explained.

"Okay. Can I have more pie?" Abby responded as she licked remnants of her first piece from her finger.

The table laughed at her nonchalant response and Lorelai pointed to Rory's stomach. "It's inevitable. Your baby girl is gonna inherit the Gilmore iron stomach like _my_ baby girls did. I guarantee it."

. . . . . .

That night, Luke walked into the master bedroom. "She's finally settled in," he said, shutting the bedroom door behind him.

"Okay, good. And Ryan's still asleep?" Lorelai called from the bathroom.

"Yup, out like a light." Luke walked over to his side of the bed and stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt. He glanced at the clock. "It's only 8:45... you wanna go down and watch a movie or something?"

Lorelai poked her head out of the bathroom door. "I have a Father's Day present for you..."

Luke smirked. "Oh yeah? What is it?"

Lorelai pulled open the door and posed seductively against the doorframe. "Me." Wearing a light pink, white-trimmed satin babydoll nightie with matching panties, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled. "So?"

"Whoa..." Luke's eyes widened as he walked toward her. "That's not the pajama outfit I was expecting."

"Thought you might like something new," she responded.

"I'm a big fan of something new," Luke confirmed as he placed his hands on her waist.

"Glad to hear it." Lorelai pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly as she ran her hands over his chest.

Luke slipped his hands up under the nightie, feeling the soft skin of her stomach. "God, you're beautiful..." He moved his lips to her neck and began sucking lightly, and she looked up toward the ceiling with a soft groan.

Luke heard a sound from the hallway, and he quickly turned his head toward the door. "I think we have company..."

They both stared at the bedroom door for a moment and heard the familiar creek of the hallway floorboards. Luke walked over to the door and placed his hand on the knob. He glanced back at Lorelai, who was climbing into the bed to hide her outfit under the covers, to avoid questions from her inquisitive offspring. Once she was tucked in, Luke pulled open the bedroom door.

Abby was standing in the hallway in her pajamas, clutching her stuffed cat in one hand and her empty drink cup in the other.

"You okay, honey?" Lorelai asked from the bed.

"Can I have more water?" she asked, holding out her cup to Luke. "I'm still thirsty."

"Just a little bit more," Luke replied. He took her cup to the bathroom and filled it up an inch, then walked back to her. He took her hand and led her back to her bed to tuck her in again.

Luke returned to the master bedroom and locked the door behind him. Lorelai was still under the covers, staring up at the ceiling as she twirled a finger in her hair.

"She's so cute..." Lorelai smiled at Luke. "They both are. Sometimes I have to physically restrain myself from eating their faces off, that's how undeniably cute they are."

Luke smiled as he walked to the bed. "How many times do I have to tell you... do not eat our children..."

"I'm trying not to, I promise."

As Luke lay next to her on the bed, he said, "I guess we should probably wait a few minutes for her to fall asleep... to minimize the chance for interruption."

"Probably," she agreed as she rested her head against his chest. "So, did my wonderful husband have a good Father's Day?"

Luke brought his arm up around her and ran his hand over her back. "_Great_ Father's Day," he confirmed, then was quiet for a few seconds before he softly said, "We're really lucky... you know?"

Lorelai smiled up at him. "Yeah, I know..."

"I mean, I know that everything's not always perfect," Luke continued.

"God, no," Lorelai agreed with a laugh.

"Ups, downs, good, bad, whatever... "

"Crying, screaming, kicking, teasing," Lorelai added.

"And that's just the adults," Luke said with a smirk. Lorelai laughed and lightly elbowed him in the side. He continued, "But even though I _know_ it's not perfect... doesn't it all kinda seem... I don't know..."

"Perfectly imperfect?" Lorelai suggested.

Luke smiled. "Yeah."

"Mmhmm," Lorelai agreed. "I love our slightly chaotic, perfectly imperfect life."

Luke kissed the top of her head and pulled her tighter against him. "Me, too."

...

The End

...

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the story! Reviews are extremely appreciated - please let me know what you think! :)


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Gilmore Girls