One-Shot: You Didn't Need My Permission

Rory Gilmore was enjoying the starry, moonlit night in her hometown. It was just her and her mom and her new stepfather here underneath the gazebo. Middle of the night. Stars Hollow was quiet and unaware that, when they got up in the morning for what would probably be the biggest town event in decades, that the knot had already been tied.

Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes had finally gotten married, after years and years of dancing around each other, then years of living together. Rory finally had a complete family, and not a broken one. And, as she absent-mindedly ran her hand over her abdomen, it would soon be a little larger.

The only question left now was how to tell her mother...

The groom himself now ambled over to her, where Rory was admiring some of the flowers. "She's all yours for a dance, if you want, princess," he smirked. "We just had our first."

Rory nodded, blinking back happy tears. "Thank you. Congratulations. I'm so happy for you."

"I'm happy for you," Luke returned with a small smile. "You waited so long for this." He paused, as if he was trying to figure out how to broach something else. "But I also wanted to apologize."

Rory blinked in shock. "For what?"

Luke shrugged sheepishly. "I, um... I probably should have asked your permission to marry your mom. The first time, when you were at Yale, and... maybe also now."

Rory smiled, amused. "How could you have? Mom proposed to you both times..."

"I know, but... it's tradition, right? A formality. And... I couldn't ask your grandfather now, so... the next best person to ask would probably have been you." He conspiratorially whispered to her. "Don't get me wrong, Emily and I are getting on much better terms, but there's a part of that woman that still scares me."

Rory laughed. "Luke, even if you had come to me and asked me for permission, you wouldn't have needed it. You didn't need it. You don't."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"You already had it," Rory blushed. "I've been wanting you and Mom to get married since I was... 12, at least."

Luke stared at her in disbelief for a moment, but then grinned. "Well, sorry it took me 20 years to get off my butt."

Rory laughed. "Apology accepted, but again, not necessary."

The pair looked over to see Lorelai dancing with Michel, the only one of two guests who had been informed of the elopement. The other was Lane, who was busying chatting up the Reverend who had married the new couple. Luke thus held out his hand. "Shall we, daughter of mine?"

Rory's eyes filled with tears. She had waited and wanted for that too, since she was a little girl. For Luke to call her his daughter. So she took a monumental step forward of her own. "We shall... Daddy."

And father and daughter went out onto the lawn of the gazebo to share their first dance as family.