Disclaimer: No, I still don´t own the show or the characters. Would have been a nice Christmas present, but Santa didn´t care.

Summary: Luke and Lorelai are expecting their first child. Luke shares his thoughts and feelings during the pregnancy with us.

A/N: First of all I´d like to say thanks to all the kind reviews (here and at Fanforum) to my first fic „Size matters". Some of you suggested to continue that story, but I always thought of it as a one-shot and now with Christmas being over I really don´t feel like writing more of it. Sorry. But I hope you´ll enjoy this fic nevertheless. Reviews are always welcome.

A/N2: It´s weird to write from a man´s point of view if you don´t belong to that species. So don´t be surprised if you notice a feminine side at Luke. ;o)

October: Creating the future

I´m still processing the idea that I, Luke Danes, will be a father. Although I know it for several weeks now and it didn´t happen completely unexpected, the thought is still new and overwhelming. Frightening even, although not as much as I imagined it would be.

When Lorelai and I had married we had agreed to let the topic children rest for a while. A few month later I witnessed some tiny changes in her behavior. Sure, she still was my witty, beautiful and coffee-addicted wife, with whom I loved to spend every minute possible. But I noticed a pensive side of her I never knew before. When we finally talked about it, she admitted that she was ready to have a child with me. Patiently I listened to her babble about soon being to old for reproduction and that mankind would die out if everyone didn´t want kids. I held her close to me, dried the tears she had shed and told her I could imagine having kids with her. And I didn´t just say that to make her stop crying. What surprised me even more than her, I really wanted it.

From that day on we were in „production mode". Luckily the horror visions of scheduled sex, that formed in my mind after hearing Lorelai say those two words, didn´t come true. We were both convinced that our usual sexual activities would be enough to eventually achieve our goal. Nothing changed. Except that every time we made love I had a vague feeling of power because of the possibility we might create new life at exactly that moment.

When we went to bed one night, about 5 months later, I nearly crushed a cuddly toy which mysteriously lay on my side of the bed. I picked up the little yellow duck and looked at Lorelai questioningly. With shiny eyes she told me „You really should get used to the idea of toys scattered all over the house." I needed a few seconds to realize what she wanted to say with that. A simple „Honey, I´m pregnant." just wouldn´t have been like her. My mouth dropped open, my eyes grew wide and I remember that my fingers digged into the plushy material of the duck. With a smile on her face she let me ride out the wave of my initial shock until my stunned facial expression (which is still mockable to her weeks later) was replaced by a broad smile.

In that night I couldn´t let her go for one second. We clung to each other tightly, looked into each other´s eyes and exchanged soft kisses now and then. She told me about her doctor´s appointment in the morning and that she didn´t want to tell me before she was completely sure she was pregnant. Later we got rid of our pajamas, they just created an unnecessary barrier between us. We didn´t really sleep with each other that night. I´m not sure why, but it just felt right that way. Maybe we were too excited and giddy to concentrate on the actual act. Nevertheless were our hands and lips unable to stop touching the other. My hands caressed every inch of her skin, like to show her my esteem for the changes and hard work her body would undergo in the next months. My lips placed kisses on her mouth, neck, breasts and stomach. Before going down further my tongue took a break at one of it´s favorite parking spaces on her body, her belly button. It was almost incomprehensible for me that underneath it was growing a child. Our child.

Way past midnight, when we were both quite exhausted but satisfied, Lorelai showed me the ultrasound picture the doctor had given her. I have to admit, to me it looked like one of those strange abstract paintings, but she pointed our baby out to me. Apparently it was only the size of a bean at that time, unbelievable.

„The doctor said the baby was conceived around August 12. Do you remember what we did that day?" she asked and raised her eyebrows suggestively. Of course I did. Lorelai had persuaded me to have a picnic on that Saturday, because we didn´t have one on Independence Day. I had grumbled about it (after all I had a reputation to live up to), but actually I liked the idea of spending the whole day alone with her. However, when we woke up that morning we looked out unsuccessfully for the sun and blue sky the weather forecast had promised. Instead it was grey and rainy and thundery. We decided to transfer our plans to the house. But since we spent the whole day in bed our „picnic" didn´t include much food. There was something special about our lovemaking that day. Our moans mingled with the sound of the raindrops against the window, from time to time flashs of lightning illuminated our intertwined naked bodies and our orgasms were accompanied by the rumbling thunder. If I´d use that kind of words I´d even say it was magical.

„I know that August 12 is only an approximate date, but I wouldn´t be surprised if it happend on that day." I told her. She agreed with that whole-heartedly. We spent the rest of the night talking about our baby and the future. Now and then one of us turned on the light to take another look at the blurry ultrasound picture.

That night will be imprinted on my memory forever, together with the night of our first date, the sunny day we married and the rainy day our child was procreated. It´s amazing how that tiny accumulation of cells can bring us even closer together than we already were. Who knows what happens when it´s born. Before that time comes we still have seven months ahead of us. I know they will be demanding, but right now I´m really excited about everything and think together we can get through it. And tomorrow I´ll go and buy a reference book about pregnancy and birth, it can´t hurt to be prepared.