Wow...I guess there really are no words for how sorry I am. I can't believe how long it's taken me to update this story. I had a hard time with writer's block for awhile, then got overwhelmed with a couple of classes. It is officially summer now, so I'll be writing more and hopefully updating a lot more regularly. Thanks so much to all of you who are still reading this story...I really appreciate your dedication!
Chapter 25 --- Nostalgia
Three months later, Luke, Lorelai, six month old Mia, Rory, Julie, Katy, Danny and Sookie all sat in Lorelai's apartment. They were surrounded by cardboard boxes; a pack-n-play crib in the corner the only thing that had not been packed. The group sat around in what had been the living room, leaning or sitting on the boxes that were sturdy enough. The group was chattering quietly when Luke came in from the kitchen, handing a bottle of beer to each person before taking his place on the floor beside Lorelai. She smiled up at him, taking his hand and squeezing it. He looked down at their joined hands, her engagement ring glittering up at him as he raised her hand to his lips.
"I can't believe you guys leave tomorrow." Julie sighed, taking a swig of her beer.
"I know! I"m going to miss you so much." Rory sighed as well.
"Aw, you know we'll visit all the time, and of course you'll be coming home a lot." Lorelai reached over and squeezed Rory's knee.
"Of course. Can't let my baby sister grow up without being spoiled." Rory grinned wickedly.
"I think Luke's already got that covered babe." Lorelai laughed as he blushed.
"Aww, does Mia have you wrapped around her little finger?" Sookie giggled.
"Jeez." Luke grumbled good naturedly, looking over to the crib where Mia was sleeping.
Sookie's giggling died down as she looked around the room. Lorelai looked up at her, surprised to see tears in her friend's eyes.
"Sook? Honey, what's wrong?" Lorelai asked, concern lacing her voice.
Sookie sniffled. "It's just, so much has happened in the past year and a half." She tried to smile through her tears as Lorelai scooted over to sit beside her. "You're so happy. Getting married, and you have a baby."
"Aw, sweetie." Lorelai pulled her into a hug. The group chuckled softly, reminiscing about the past eighteen months. There had been break-ups, and engagement and a wedding, new relationships, new job opportunities, a pregnancy and a birth. Lorelai looked around at the group. So much had changed, and looking back it seemed that it had changed for the better. She was happy.
Chapter 26---Excitement
The next day, she and Luke loaded the boxes into his truck and her Jeep. There were tears and laughter as Luke, Lorelai, Mia and Sookie said goodbye to Rory, Julie, Danny and Katy. Strapping Mia's carrier into the backseat of Lorelai's Jeep, Sookie climbed into the passenger seat, giving Lorelai a moment alone with her friends.
Lorelai wrapped Rory in a tight hug. "You be good. I'll see you in three weeks for the wedding."
"Of course. Can't have a wedding without the maid of honor, now can you?" Rory tightened the hug then stepped back. "Have a good drive, be careful, and call me when you get there."
"Yes mom." Lorelai laughed. "Love you kid."
"Love you too." Rory stepped back to stand with Julie and Katy, waving as Lorelai started the Jeep and pulled away from the curb.
A few hours later, Lorelai pulled off the freeway in Hartford to feed Mia. After Mia was nursed she called Luke while Sookie walked around with the baby and stretched her legs.
"Hey hon, where are you?" He answered.
"We stopped in Hartford to feed and change Mia. Where are you?"
"Just outside of Hartford. Almost home."
"Great, we'll be back on the road in just a few minutes."
"So what's the plan?" Luke asked, exiting the highway and pulling over. "You know the town will go crazy. I've been gone for seven months, and you've been gone for a year. We'll get ambushed." He grumbled.
Lorelai laughed. "Do you just want to head for the house?"
"Babette will see us go inside with Mia. We'll never get a chance to get settled."
"Well why don't we get the whole thing over with then?" Lorelai shrugged, forgetting he couldn't see her.
"What do you mean?"
"We'll just walk into the diner together, let them get it all out of their systems." Lorelai suggested.
"I guess that could work. Then we could take Mia upstairs if she gets too overwhelmed." Luke conceded.
"Okay then, it's a plan. Meet us at Sookie's and we can leave your truck there and head over in the Jeep."
"Sure, see you there." Luke agreed. "Love you, drive safe."
"Love you too, and right back atcha." They hung up and started back on the road, heading towards home.
They arrived at Sookie's house within ten minutes of each other. Sookie climbed from the passenger seat, waving as Luke took her place. "You guys have fun." She grinned. "You can leave the truck as long as you need."
"Thanks Sook, we appreciate it." Lorelai drove slowly as they moved through the town towards the diner. "Okay, this is weird." She stopped the car outside the diner and looked around.
"What?"
"There's nobody around!" Lorelai studied the town center, eyes settling on Miss Patty's. "A ha!"
"What? Aha what?" Luke sighed.
"This is perfect! There's a town meeting." She turned off the car, unbuckling her seatbelt.
"Where are you going?"
"The meeting of course. This is perfect!" Lorelai grinned, opening the backseat to lift Mia from the infant carrier. "Come on. Grab her seat would you?"
"Lorelai-"
"Luke." She singsonged, bouncing Mia to make her laugh. "This is a great opportunity, everyone in once place. We'll get it all done at once."
With a sigh and a smile he climbed out of the Jeep, unbuckling the car seat and joining Lorelai on the sidewalk. "Okay, let's do this." He followed her to the door of Patty's, nearly running into her when she stopped suddenly. "Jeez, Lorelai?"
"You go first." She said quickly in a moment of panic, stepping back and pushing him towards the door.
"What the-?"
"Please? Luke?"
"Okay, okay." He shifted the empty car seat to his other hand and pulled open the large sliding door.
"Alright people, our next order of business is the Fall Festival, which is fast approaching. It's in two weeks people and we are lacking volunteers here-" Taylor was saying as the door slid open. "Well, well, well. Luke, so nice of you to join us." All heads in the room whipped around to look and see Luke in the door way.
"Is that a - baby carrier?" Miss Patty said slowly.
Turning slightly on his heel, he beckoned to Lorelai, who stood off to the side, out of view. Taking a deep breath and shifting Mia on her hip, she stepped into the doorway beside him. She chuckled softly as eyes widened and there was actually a collective gasp. She smiled as Babette was the first to recover.
"Lorelai?! And a baby!" Babette exclaimed, and the spell was broken. Everyone was talking at once, so me whispering to each other, others calling out questions to the couple in the doorway. Patty and Babette pressed their way through the room until they were standing in front of them.
"Welcome back you two." Miss Patty grinned.
"Let me see that baby!" Babette exclaimed and Lorelai turned Mia around in her arms to face the women.
"Oh what a doll!"
"So precious."
"What's her name dear?" Patty asked, and Lorelai smiled up at Luke. He placed an arm around Lorelai's waist.
"Her name is Mia. Mia Elizabeth." He answered and Babette and Patty exchanged looks.
"Can I hold her Lorelai?"
"Sure," Lorelai gently placed Mia into Babette's arms. The baby tensed then relaxed into the older woman. She and Patty cooed and talked to the baby, wandering around the room.
Most of the town had dispersed after Taylor reluctantly called the meeting to a close, and Luke suggested a move to the diner with the group of people who were left. Unlocking the diner, Luke set about getting coffee ready for everyone who'd joined them. Standing behind the counter, he watched as the town socialized. Mia was being passed around, Lorelai always hovering nearby as Sookie, Babette, Patty, Lane and others all got a chance to hold her.
After a few minutes, Jess and Micaela walked in, temporarily surprised and confused by the gathering of people in the diner they'd left locked. Spotting Lorelai, Micaela went over to say hi and see the baby while Jess made his way to the counter, slipping behind it to stand beside Luke.
"Quite the gathering." He commented.
"Yeah, they all wanna see Mia and Lorelai."
"They missed you guys. Constantly asking when you were coming back."
"Well, we're back."
"Permanent?"
"Yeah."
"Cool."
Luke turned to watch Jess. "We're living at Lorelai's. You and Micaela can stay if you want."
"We do."
"Okay."
"Okay."
Luke was about to say more when Mia's unmistakable wail went up over the crowd. Luke hurried around the counter to lift his daughter out of Miss Patty's arms.
"A da!" The baby exclaimed as he settled her in his arms.
"Hey princess." He murmured in her ear as she snuggled into his shoulder, her head tucked under his chin. "She's a little overwhelmed." He explained to Patty, shifting the baby's weight onto his left forearm. He slipped back behind the counter, chuckling at the suspicious way Jess was eyeing the baby. "Meet your cousin."
"Hey kid." Jess mumbled, then chuckled at the wide-eyed look the baby gave him before she buried her face in Luke's flannel shirt.
Luke looked up, catching Lorelai and Micaela watching the two men and the baby before going back to their conversation. "So, Micaela want one yet?" Luke asked bluntly, enjoying Jess's spluttering and panicked look.
"What! NO- I mean, I don't - Ah jeez." Jess ran his hand through his hair. "Do you think she does?"
"I don't know." Luke held up his free hand in mock surrender. "I'm just watching her watch us." He chuckled.
"Damn."
"Watch your mouth around Mia. Don't need her picking up your language." At the sound of her name, Mia whimpered and shifted in his arms, her thumb slipping into her mouth. "Be right back." Luke carried her back around the counter, joining Lorelai and Micaela by a table. He slipped his free arm around Lorelai's waist and she grinned, leaning up to kiss him then the baby. In turn, he kissed her ear and whispered, "Mia's hungry."
Seeing Lorelai, the baby launched herself out of Luke's grasp and towards her mother. "Is that so?" Lorelai murmured as she caught Mia easily, settling her into her arms and batting her back with her left hand. "Micaela, do you mind if I take her upstairs to nurse?"
"Of course not, go ahead." Lorelai smiled gratefully, murmuring softly to her daughter as she worked her way through the diner towards the stairs.
"Is that a ring!?" Patty exclaimed, eyeing the hand patting Mia's back. Lorelai caught Luke's eye, smiling mischievously as she slipped behind the curtain and up the stairs while they ambushed Luke.
"Was that an engagement ring?"
"When's the wedding?"
"How did you do it?"
Babette and Patty tag teamed him and Micaela laughed as she slipped away to join Jess behind the counter. "You okay?" She asked, "You kinda look like a deer caught in the headlights."
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm good." He recovered quickly, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into him.
Meanwhile Luke was fielding Babette and Miss Patty's questions. "Okay, okay." He laughed, hands raised. "Yes it's an engagement ring." They squealed. "Proposed when I found her. The wedding is in three weeks at the Dragonfly." He said the last sentence loudly enough for the whole diner to hear him. A hush fell over the crowd, then exploded into excited chatter. Luke laughed.
"So is Rory coming back for the wedding?"
"Is her dad gonna walk her down the aisle?"
Luke was nodding to answer the first question when the second came. "Yeah Rory's coming back in two weeks. Excuse me ladies." He slipped away, climbing the stairs and letting himself into the old apartment. He found Lorelai on the couch, settled comfortably into the cushions, her eyes closed as Mia nursed, her thumb absently stroking the baby's leg. Silently he settled down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Her eyes fluttered open, looking up at him lovingly before they both looked down to watch their daughter nurse. Reluctantly, Luke cleared his throat and broke the silence.
"Do your parents know?"
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