A/N: I just wanted to thank you all for your patience during this busy month. The updates may come a bit slower, but they will be coming. Thanks!

Forward Passes

Lorelai ushered Jake through the diner door and held it open as Josh, Emily, Carly and Richard followed. “Grab the big table,” she told the twins, waving to Steve as he turned on his stool to see who had entered.

“Richard! Emily!” Patty exclaimed as she turned to greet the new arrivals. “It’s been too long,” she cooed as she offered Richard hand. Clinging to his fingers tightly, her eyes remained riveted on him as she purred, “Emily you look wonderful.”

“Hello, Patty,” Emily said, torn between amusement and annoyance.

“Richard, it’s always such a pleasure,” Patty said with a coquettish smile. “Emily, you are a cruel, cruel woman keeping this handsome hunk of man under wraps.”

“Unhand him, Patty,” Lorelai said as she settled Carly in a booster seat.

“I wasn’t going to keep him,” Patty pouted as she released her hold on Lorelai’s father.

“Ah, Patty, you know how to make a man feel like a king,” Richard said, giving her a gallant bow.

“A king? I was hoping for a naughty pirate, but I suppose a king would do,” she murmured.

“We’ll be at the table if you care to join us,” Emily told Richard coolly.

“Aw, now I’ve caused trouble,” Patty murmured.

“Nonsense,” Richard replied easily. “You look well, Patty.”

Patty sniffed and said, “I was going for ravishing.”

“Well, my wife is nearby,” he said with a low chuckle. “Good to see you,” he added as he moved to the table Lorelai had claimed.

Lorelai shrugged out of her coat and tugged the hem of her snug white sweater down over the waistband of her slim hounds tooth check capri pants. “Be right back,” she told them as she spun on the toe of one black ballet flat and headed for the counter just as Luke stepped out of the kitchen.

“H-hey,” he stammered as he spotted her.

Steve’s head popped up and his eyes widened as he scoped Lorelai from head to toe. “Whoa, quick I need an ottoman to trip over,” he said admiringly.

“Roll your tongue up before I step on it,” Luke snarled.

Lorelai beamed, stepping back to preen a bit. “You like it? I told Rory you would,” she said smugly.

“Nice,” Luke said as he leaned onto the counter. Steve tried to sneak another peek and without taking his eyes off of Lorelai, Luke reached out and slapped a hand to Steve’s cheek, pushing his head in the opposite direction. “Hey,” he said again.

“That all you got?”

“At the moment,” he replied with a nod.

“Well, when the blood starts flowing to other parts again, do you think we can score some coffee over there?”

“If, not when,” Luke mumbled as he backed up against the back counter and reached blindly for the coffee pot.

“Babe?”

“Yeah.”

“Hot,” she reminded him.

“Right,” Luke said as he shook his head and turned toward the coffee maker. “Uh, need a new pot,” he mumbled as he fumbled for a filter.

“Da, da, da da da da da dum, da da dum,” Steve said under his breath. “Da da da da da da da da da da dum,” he finished with a soft wolf whistle to mark the place of Dick Van Dyke’s famous pratfall.

“Thanks,” Lorelai laughed.

“No, thank you,” Steve drawled. “You’ve single handedly just revived every Laura Petrie fantasy I’ve ever had.”

“Forget what I said earlier,” Luke told him sternly. “I don’t want you within five hundred feet of my house.”

“Aw, come on, Luke,” Steve groaned.

“Nope.”

“It’s the biggest game of the year.”

“Nope.”

“Ease up, I’m not hitting on her, I’m just admiring her. Lorelai doesn’t mind being admired, do you, Lorelai?” he asked.

“Not at all.” She glanced down as Jake suddenly appeared at her side, and smiled as he ran her hand over his hair. “This little barnacle of mine admires me too.”

“See?”

“Not tonight,” Luke growled.

“Seriously? It’s Brett Favre in Green Bay, but not playing for Green Bay,” Steve said incredulously.

“Listen, you can’t come over, because if you do, you’ll be drooling on my wife all night, and if I go to your place she’ll change into flannel pajamas and this is the last I’ll see of that,” Luke said as he pointed to Lorelai’s snug sweater.

“Do you guys need me to give you a moment alone?” Lorelai asked archly.

“No,” Steve answered with an amused smile as Luke barked, “Yes.”

“Tell you what, you pour me what’s left in that pot, and I’ll leave you two to arm wrestle over how far Green Bay is,” she told Luke.

“It’s Brett Favre playing for the Vikings in Green Bay,” Luke muttered as he poured the remainder of the coffee into a mug.

“There are Vikings in Green Bay? Where’s Green Bay?” she asked Jake, who simply shook his head.

“Now you see why there will be no football in my house tonight,” Luke said grimly.

“You want to watch football at our house tonight?” Lorelai asked.

“Yes, please,” Steve said ingratiatingly.

“Nope,” Luke grumbled.

“I wanna watch,” Jake chimed in.

“What’s in it for me?” she bartered.

Luke shoved the filter basket into the machine and then eyed her warily. “What do you want?”

“Fried chicken,” she answered promptly.

“Yes!” Steve hissed as he thrust a fist into the air.

Luke narrowed his eyes. “I’ll fry chicken and make mashed potatoes and biscuits, on one condition.”

“Ooh, negotiation. I love negotiations,” she said as she leaned on the counter and winked bawdily at Luke. “One condition?” she prompted.

“You wear that,” Luke said crossing his arms over his chest. When he heard Steve whisper another ‘Yes!’ he added, “With a robe or something over it, or a raincoat.”

“A raincoat?” Lorelai asked.

Luke cut his eyes to Steve and nodded. Steve simply laughed and said sarcastically, “Yes, a raincoat will certainly erase that image from my mind.”

“Hush,” Lorelai hissed. “Deal,” she told Luke as she leaned further over and pursed her lips.

Luke gave her a quick kiss, and then shooed her away from the counter. Lorelai smiled as she asked, “You gonna be able to join us?”

Luke glanced over at Emily and then scanned the busy diner. “Not right now, maybe if it clears out some.”

Lorelai nodded her understanding. “Will you at least say hello?”

Luke scowled. “Of course I’ll say hello.”

“Just asking,” she answered as she straightened up. Lorelai looked down at Jake and then said, “Okay, I’m taking my Klingon and we’ll be over there waiting for the service in this joint to improve.”

“I’m comin’,” Luke grumbled as he grabbed his order pad from the counter and followed her to the table. “Hi Richard, Emily,” he greeted his in-laws with a brusque nod.

“Hello, Luke. Will you be joining us?” Richard asked.

“Um, not right now, I’ve got things to take care of,” Luke answered, staring down at the top of Carly’s head and avoiding Emily’s gaze.

“That’s too bad,” Emily said primly as she made a show of scanning the menu.

“Coffee will be right up. Do you know what you want?” he asked, his eyes flickering to Richard.

“Pancakes!” Josh cried happily.

“You’re having eggs, two sausage links and some toast. You ate too much junk last night,” Luke told him.

“But…”

“And a fruit cup,” Luke added sternly.

“But I want…” Josh began again.

“Fwuit cup!” Carly said eagerly.

“You’re getting one too,” Luke said as he brushed his fingers over her springy curls.

“That sounds good, I’ll have the same, but I’d like grapefruit instead of the fruit cup, please,” Richard said with a decisive nod.

“How do you want your eggs?” Luke asked.

“How do you like yours?” Richard asked Jake conspiratorially.

“Scrambled,” he muttered.

“Ah, well, I think I’ll have mine over easy. Wheat toast, please,” Richard told Luke.

“That’s what he’ll give us,” Jake pouted.

“That sounds fine. I’ll have the same as Richard,” Emily said as she closed the menu.

“You’re making it too easy on him,” Lorelai said as she drummed her fingers, waiting for Luke to turn to her. When he spun around to head for the kitchen, her jaw dropped. “What about me?” she called after him.

Luke stopped and turned. “I saw how empty that candy bowl was this morning, you’re getting the same.”

“But, that wasn’t me, that was from Trick or Treating!” she protested.

“There were wrappers stuffed in the couch cushions.”

Lorelai gaped at Josh and Jake and then shook her head as she stood up, pulling the sweater down to better hi-light her assets. “Hang on,” she told the boys. “Let’s talk about this,” she said, smiling ingratiatingly at Luke.

“Sit down,” he growled.

“Two slices of french toast cut into four,” she negotiated as she advanced on him. “We’ll each get one little triangle.”

“Carly doesn’t like french toast,” he pointed out.

“She does too! And if she doesn’t eat it, someone will,” she argued.

“Someone named Lorelai?”

“Maybe. Come on, Babe,” she cajoled as she ran her hand down his arm. “Don’t you think we’ll need a little syrup for our sausage anyway? It makes it so much sweeter,” she said softly.

“God, she’s good,” Steve muttered as he hunkered down over his plate, unable to watch his wingman going down in flames.

Luke wet his lips as he looked down at her soft white sweater. “Two slices cut into four, but if the Pea doesn’t want hers, you give it to your dad.”

“Done,” Lorelai said quickly.

“He doesn’t like french toast, does he?” Luke asked suspiciously.

“I don’t know,” she said with a careless shrug, flashing a knowing smile as she returned to their table.

“Shut it,” Luke snapped at Steve as the other man sat chuckling over his plate.

After he served their meals, Luke managed to keep busy enough to avoid having to sit down at that table. Steve left after quizzing Luke relentlessly on his chicken frying technique and adding a few helpful suggestions of his own gleaned from years of watching his mama prepare his favorite meal. Customers came and went, but by the time Luke saw a second piece of french toast miraculously appear on his wife’s plate, things were definitely more at an ebb than a flow, so he retreated to the store room.

He supposed that he shouldn’t have been shocked to look up and see Emily Gilmore hovering in the doorway, but he was. “You shouldn’t be back here, it’s dangerous,” he grumbled as he pulled a giant jar of mayonnaise from the shelf.

“I’ll stay out of harm’s way,” Emily said as she braced a steadying hand on the doorframe. “I was hoping I’d get to speak to you.”

“We’re speaking,” Luke replied tersely as he wiped his hands on his jeans.

“I’ve apologized to Lorelai and to the children,” Emily said hesitantly. “I’d like to apologize to you.”

“You already did.”

“Luke, please,” Emily said tiredly.

“I don’t want to talk about this now. I have a business to run.”

“Yes, and you’re doing so quite efficiently. I have no doubt that the counter has never been so clean,” she said pointedly.

“My counter is always clean,” he growled.

“That wasn’t what I was implying.”

“Well, you never know, right?”

“Luke,” she said forcefully.

“I told you that I don’t want to talk about this now,” he repeated.

“Well, when, then?” she demanded. “You won’t come to Friday night dinner, you won’t invite me to your house, you won’t speak to me on the telephone,” she said impatiently.

“You don’t get to be mad,” he snapped. “You don’t get to stand there and demand things.” Gripping his hat with both hands, Luke did his best to keep from exploding. “I decide. I get to say. Now, Lorelai has decided that it was important for you and the kids to get past this, but that does not mean that I have decided that it’s time for you and me to!”

“I saw you out there, watching me like a hawk, waiting for me to make a mistake,” Emily said, her voice rising with each word.

“You’re damn right I was,” Luke shouted. “I don’t trust you, Emily. It may have taken me way too long to see what Lorelai has always seen, but I see it now, and I’ll be damned if I let you do that to my kids!”

“Mom, this isn’t the bathroom,” Lorelai said as she appeared in the doorway, gently trying to pull Emily back toward the dining room. “Don’t push him,” she said softly.

“I won’t let you,” Luke continued unabated. “I won’t let you belittle them or us, or make them live their lives in a constant attempt to win your approval. They don’t need it!”

“Luke, not now,” Lorelai said as she stepped between her mother and her husband.

“You can’t force me,” Luke said looking past his wife to his mother-in-law. You can’t simply demand that I forgive you. I don’t forgive you. I don’t know if I ever will.”

“He doesn’t mean that,” Lorelai said as she glanced back at Emily’s stricken face.

“Stop trying to speak for me,” Luke hissed. “I do mean it. I understand that you’re just trying to do what you feel you need to do, I get that, but I don’t feel any need, Lorelai.” He looked directly at Emily and said, “Not anymore. You went too far.”

“Emily, I think we should go now,” Richard said as he appeared at his wife’s side.

Emily nodded as she pressed her lips together tightly, letting Richard gently pull her away from the store room as Lorelai and Luke stood toe to toe in the doorway.

Lorelai took a deep breath and then said softly, “Don’t do this to me.”

“Do what? Protect my family?”

“You’re the one who always pointed out that they were our family too,” she reminded him. When Luke turned away, the muscle in his jaw jumping, she whispered, “They’re the kids’ family too, and no matter what happened; they still love them.”

“Jake doesn’t,” Luke answered petulantly.

“He does too, and you know it.”

Luke hung his head for a moment, and then shook it. “I know, I just… I can’t, Lorelai. I just can’t right now,” he said softly.

Lorelai nodded and then pressed her hand to his cheek. “That’s okay. We’ll give it a little more time. Try again some other time,” she assured him. “But Luke, she’s trying, okay? You have to give her a little credit for that.” When he nodded, she smiled wanly. “Do you like my sweater?” she teased.

“Uh huh.”

“We have an ottoman,” she reminded him.

“I’ll trip over my tongue later.”

“Okay, good.” She glanced back toward the dining room and said, “We’d better go. See you after lunch?”

“Yeah, see you after lunch.”

“Do the Vikings look anything like Thor? I always liked Thor,” she said as she backed from the room.

“Yeah, I know, and no. They look like Brett Favre now.”

“Is he the guy on the Wranglers commercials?”

“Yep.”

“Hmm. May be worth watching, then.”

****

“You agree with him, don’t you?” Emily asked, breaking the silence as they drove home to Hartford.

“I understand that Luke feels he needs to protect his family,” Richard answered cautiously.

“From me,” she concluded.

“From anyone or anything he feels may be a threat.”

“Including me.”

“Emily, be reasonable,” Richard said tiredly.

“Reasonable? You think it’s reasonable for Luke to act this way? To keep the children from us?” she demanded.

“He isn’t keeping them from us.”

“He’s reinforcing it. Jacob will hardly leave Lorelai’s side.”

“Do you blame him? You tried to forcibly take him from her!” Richard reminded her, growing agitated.

“You blame me, I know you do,” she said stiffly.

“Yes, I do,” Richard retorted, his hands tightening on the wheel. He glanced over and saw Emily blink back tears as she turned to the window. “I’m sorry, Emily,” he said softly. “I’m sorry, but I do, and I know it’s wrong.”

“You’re not wrong,” she answered in a choked voice.

“I just, things were going so well…”

“So well?” Emily asked, incredulous. “How do you define well, Richard?”

“You’re alive, damn it,” he said pounding the heel of his hand against the wheel. “I know that you’re frustrated and tired. I understand that it pains you to not be able to do the things that you normally do so easily, but Emily, you’re alive! That’s how I define well,” he shouted. “You’re alive, and I still have you. That’s all I wanted. I had you and them, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s all I needed.”

“And now you just have me,” she sniffed.

“No, I still have it all. The thing that pains me is that you don’t,” he told her as he guided the Jaguar toward the nearest exit.

“Where are you going? This isn’t our exit,” Emily said as he coasted down the ramp.

Richard pulled to a stop at the foot of the ramp and put the car in park as he turned to his wife. “All I have ever wanted to do was give you everything that you wanted, Emily. My entire life has been dedicated to making you as happy as I possibly can,” he said calmly. “But I cannot make you happy if you refuse to be happy. I cannot continue to give you everything if you insist on throwing it all away just to get your own way.” He stared through the windshield at the on ramp opposite the stop sign. “You used to claim that Lorelai had a self-destructive streak in her, well I think that she gets it from you,” he said tiredly.

“From me?” she gasped.

“Yes. And I have to tell you that I’m with Luke on this. I will not let you take me down with you. I will not let you ruin what years I have left with my daughter and grandchildren,” he said firmly. “Lorelai has learned to lean on Luke when she needs to, Emily. After almost fifty years, when will you learn to lean on me?” he asked as he turned to look at her.

“I’ve always relied on you, Richard,” she said in a stunned tone.

“For your home, your security,” he said quietly. “Not for you.”

“You couldn’t be more wrong.”

Richard leaned across the seats and pressed an impulsive kiss to her lips. “Prove it to me,” he challenged. “Let me help you. It doesn’t make you weaker, Emily, it only makes us stronger.”

Emily blinked, feeling the familiar rush of unshed tears burning behind her eyes. She looked into his sincere blue eyes, and broke. “Oh, Richard, what am I going to do?” she sobbed as she fell into his waiting arms.

“Shh,” he soothed as he stroked her hair. “It will all be okay. We’ll make it okay,” he whispered as he held on tightly.

****

Luke stood leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest, watching impassively as the diner’s patronage trickled down into the afternoon lull. Zach banged pots and pans in the kitchen as Lane bustled around the dining room, straightening tables and rambling to Luke about an upcoming gig the band had secured.

When he noticed a lull in her dissertation, Luke grunted, “Sounds great.”

“It will be great. It’ll be the greatest thing ever,” she enthused. When he nodded, Lane grinned and said, “I mean, every rock and roll band dreams of opening at the Third Baptist Church of Woodbridge’s annual John the Baptist Bash.”

Luke flinched slightly, and then ducked his head as he gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry, wasn’t listening.”

“I figured that out when I mentioned that they rented three dunking booths to baptize their new members,” she told him as she brushed past him to gather a handful of flatware.

Luke rubbed his chin and then asked, “Rory ever talk to you about her grandmother?”

“Emily? Sure. I love a good Emily story,” Lane answered with a shrug. “Why? Did she start the kids their own collections of Burt Bacharach crystal?”

“Baccarat,” Luke muttered.

Lane grinned. “Yeah, I know, but when Rory got a set of candlesticks for her dorm room at Yale, we renamed it. We made up lyrics about them too.”

“What’s with that? How many pairs of crystal candlesticks holders do people need?” he asked.

“How many do you have?”

“Three or four, I think.”

“Well, there you go.”

Luke sighed and lowered his arms, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I suppose you heard about what happened when Josh got hurt,” he said gruffly.

Lane grimaced. “Yeah. Rory said it was pretty bad.”

“Did she ever… Did Rory say if anything like that had happened before?”

Lane looked up at him sharply. “Emily wigging out on Lorelai? Threatening to take Rory away?” When Luke nodded, Lane shrugged and said, “Rory was a lot older when they started seeing Richard and Emily more regularly. No, not really.” She moved to the next table and said, “The impression that I got was that they adored Rory. Anything Emily had to say, she said to Lorelai. But, nothing like that, at least, not that I know of.”

“You know, I can’t help it, I’m mad,” Luke said as he crossed his arms again.

“I think you deserve to be mad,” Lane said as she continued to re-set tables.

“Yeah, I do too. And Lorelai deserves to be mad, the kids deserve to be mad,” he said stubbornly.

Lane nodded as she carried the left over flatware back to the counter. “But they’re not,” she concluded.

“Jake’s still a little wary,” Luke mumbled.

“But he’ll bounce back. Just like Josh will heal, and in a few months everything will be back to normal.”

“Whatever that is.” Luke looked up at the ceiling and said, “They all just want me to get over it.”

Lane chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment and then said, “When my mom wanted me to move out, when she found out about the band, and all of the stuff I’d been doing, dating Zach… I thought we’d never get over it.” She shrugged. “Now she’s booking gigs for us at the Third Baptist Church of Woodbridge.”

Luke cut his eyes toward her. “You think I need to get over it too.”

Lane shook her head and said, “No. You don’t need to get over it; you just need to get past it. Try to find something else that you can agree on.”

Luke turned to look out at the square as he digested her words. When Lane started gathering the ketchup dispensers to be refilled, he asked, “When’s this gig?”

“Next Saturday night.”

Luke pushed away from the counter and walked toward the door. “I’ve got you covered. You got things here?”

“As long as the three gallon jugs of ketchup hold out, we’re good,” she assured him.

Luke opened the door and gave her a little wave. “Thanks, Lane. Call me if you need me,” he said as he left.

****

Lorelai wandered into the living room cradling a bowl of cheese puffs to her stomach. She smirked as she saw Josh and Jake sprawled out on the couch next to Luke, mimicking Steve’s slouch in the chair. The moment she set the bowl on the coffee table, Luke murmured, “There you go.”

“Yes!” Steve shouted as he sat up in his chair, raising both arms straight up in the air. He turned and leaned over the arm of the chair, holding his hand up until Jake slapped him a high five.

“Yay, Cheez Doodles,” Lorelai said as she held up one hand for Luke to slap.

“Touchdown, Minnesota,” he answered as he gave her a gentle high five and then held onto her hand.

“Oh, not the Cheez Doodles?” she teased.

“Yay, Cheez Doodles,” Josh said as he dug in.

“Everything going okay?” she asked Luke.

He squeezed her hand and nodded. “The old guy is tearing them up.”

“Old?”

“He’s forty,” Steve answered with a smirk.

“Hey!” she protested.

“That’s only old in professional football,” Luke said quickly.

Lorelai nodded, only slightly mollified. She watched as the boys crammed cheese puffs into their mouths and said, “Live it up, ten minutes until bedtime.”

Ignoring their groans, Luke looked up at her and asked, “Pea go down okay?”

“She resisted, but I lulled her to sleep by explaining the importance of male bonding rituals and how they pay off in the long run,” she told him.

“What’s it going to cost me?”

Lorelai smirked. “We got the laptop out and Carory and Carly have new matching ensembles coming.”

“And you?”

“Gorgeous Kenneth Cole boots. Very high heel, you’ll like them.”

“I’m sure I will,” he mumbled as he released his hold on her.

“You should wear them with that robe,” Steve suggested as he nodded to the thick terry cloth robe she had put on over her outfit.

“Ten minutes,” Lorelai reminded the boys as she walked from the room.

She grabbed the cordless phone from the cradle and dialed with her thumb as she slid into one of the kitchen chairs. As the phone rang, she began to leaf through a magazine that had come in the mail the previous day. “There’s a testosterone festival going on in my living room, save me,” she said in a high, girly voice.

“There is?” Sookie asked.

“Steve’s over, he and Luke and the boys are watching some football game.”

“Aw, fun,” Sookie said enviously.

“Not fun. I know the minute I leave the room they’re ogling the cheerleaders and adjusting themselves.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, my manly man is in his hydroponic greenhouse trying wed a sweet onion to a yellow onion in hopes of producing a tangy onion that won’t make you cry and leaves a sweet aftertaste.”

“Ah, more dabbling in vegetable husbandry.”

“Seems to be the only husbandry he’s interested in,” Sookie muttered.

“Still not better?” Lorelai asked sympathetically.

“Nope.”

“Did you try the thing with the thing?”

“I wanted to try the thing but the thing broke.”

“You broke the thing?” Lorelai winced. “Did you throw it up against a wall, because I can tell you that things don’t like that.”

“I accidentally knocked the thing off the nightstand and Jackson stepped on it. And then we got to have a big fight about whether I thought he was inadequate or not.”

“Oh, Sookie,” Lorelai sighed sadly.

“It’s fine, no big deal, I’m just never having sex again. But hey, I won’t have to worry about chopping onions anymore, so that’s something.”

“What about dressing up?” Lorelai asked.

“I wore my new dress when we went out to dinner last week, remember? It was a no go.”

“That’s right. Remember to bring it over and I’ll see if I can’t fix that tear.” Lorelai drummed her fingers on the table and then glanced down at her robe. “I meant like fantasy dressing up.”

“Oh.”

“What do you think would get Jackson’s attention? I bet you could get a sexy wench costume really cheap now that Halloween is over,” she said as she flipped a page.

“Maybe one of those schoolgirl costumes,” Sookie ventured.

Lorelai shuddered. “As a mother who dressed her daughter in a plaid skirt for three years, I beg you to go a different route.”

Sookie giggled. “I know, that’s kind of creepy. I don’t think Jackson would go for that.”

“I hope not.” Lorelai pushed the sleeve of her robe back and then turned another page. “I wore my new Capri pants and sweater today.”

“You did? They looked great on you. I bet you’re throwing your beret up in the air right now,” Sookie sulked.

“No berets, I’m playing second fiddle to a bunch of guys in cups and helmets right now, remember?”

“That’s right,” Sookie acknowledged. “Well, that definitely wouldn’t look right on me.”

Lorelai closed the magazine and said, “I have to get the boys into bed. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll probably fall asleep with them, and there will be no tripping and no beret tossing.”

“Damn that Mary Tyler Moore for raising our expectations,” Sookie commiserated.

“Well, Lou did tell her that she had spunk, and we all know how annoying that can be.”

“True,” Sookie agreed. “Hey, maybe by the time the game is over, Luke will be all testosteroned up,” she said suggestively.

“I don’t know. After the fiasco with my parents this morning, he’s hardly even noticed.”

“He’s a man, we all know how easily distracted they are. Chances are the minute Steve is out the door, Luke will be pushing your pedal pushers up over your ears, and I’ll be holding my nose so I don’t cry myself to sleep.”

“Sook, I’m so sorry,” Lorelai said softly.

“No, no, the onions,” Sookie said quickly. “Unfortunately, I’m getting used to the other,” she added with a heavy sigh.

Lorelai sat up straighter. “I say you just jump him. Roll over on top of him, strip off your nightgown and tell him that you can’t live a moment longer if he doesn’t fu…” she trailed off, her head swiveling as she heard the refrigerator door open.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” Steve said mildly as he reached for two more beers. “It was my turn,” he said as he held them up, and the quickly fled the room.

“Your brains out,” Lorelai murmured in conclusion as her cheeks flushed bright red.

“He heard you?” Sookie gasped, horrified.

“No, no!”

“Does he know who you’re talking to?”

“No, there’s no way,” Lorelai insisted. “Listen, I have to get the boys to bed.”

“He doesn’t know it’s me, right?” Sookie persisted.

“What, Brunhilda? You have to go?” Lorelai said loudly. “Okay, well, good luck with your career as a, uh, massage therapist,” she called down the hallway. “Bye,” she whispered into the phone.

“Bye,” Sookie hissed back.

Lorelai switched the phone off and sat at the table, staring down unseeingly at the cover of her In Style magazine. She blew out a tired breath as she planted her hands on the table and stood up. Automatically reaching to tighten the belt on her robe, Lorelai scowled down at it as she untied the belt instead. She quickly shrugged out of the robe and left it draped over the chair as she marched from the kitchen, not bothering to tug her sweater into place as it inched up over the waistband of her pants.

“Okay, bedtime, Bonzos,” she called as she breezed into the living room.

The boys groaned and Luke looked up, his eyebrows lifted as he spotted the flash of smooth white skin beneath the hem of her sweater. “You heard her,” he said to the boys without tearing his eyes from Lorelai. “I’ll be up in a minute.”

“I was hot,” she told him as she shooed the twins from the room and followed them to the stairs.

“I bet she is,” Steve commented.

“Stop that,” Luke snarled.

“I just like to bait you.”

He sat back in his chair and watched the action on the screen for a few minutes. “I think the little woman wants your attention. I heard her talking to someone about rolling over on top of you and stripping off her nightgown when I went to get our beers,” he said when the game went to commercial.

“Lorelai doesn’t wear nightgowns,” Luke muttered.

“Okay, now you’re baiting me.”

Luke shot him a look and then set his beer aside. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“You want me to go?”

Luke hesitated for a moment, clearly torn. “Let me just go say goodnight.”

“Okay. Kick me out whenever,” Steve called after him.

“Don’t worry, I will.”

By the time Luke reached the boys’ room, their teeth had been brushed, the cheesy residue washed from their hands, and Lorelai was arguing them into bed.

“You traded your reading time for football time, remember?” she told Jake firmly. “Never negotiate anything you aren’t willing to give up. You’re already thirty minutes past bedtime,” she said as she pulled the covers up over Josh.

“School tomorrow,” Luke reminded them as he stepped into the room.

“My backpack’s not ready,” Jake attempted.

“I’ll get you up a few minutes earlier,” Luke countered, gently pushing him back down onto his pillows. “I let you guys stay up, don’t make me regret that or we can’t do it again,” he told him.

“Yessir,” Jake sighed.

Luke smiled as he bent to kiss him goodnight. “That was fun, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Jake answered.

“It was fun,” Luke repeated as he moved to Josh’s bed. “You okay?”

“I ate too many Cheez Doodles.”

“I’ve seen you eat a lot more, I’m not falling for the fake stomachache.” He kissed Josh and whispered, “Night, Buddy.”

“Night,” Josh answered.

Luke straightened just as Lorelai bent over to kiss Jake. He cleared his throat and then grabbed her wrist when she stood up, pulling her out into the hallway with him.

“Are you trying to drive me crazy?” he demanded in a harsh whisper as he pinned her up against the wall in the hallway.

“What?” she answered innocently.

Luke spared a glance at the boys’ room and then pulled her down the hall to their bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind them and then pressed her against it, kissing her hard and fast. “You are, you are trying to make me crazy,” he murmured as he pushed the soft, white sweater up over her belly and bent to press his lips to her silky skin.

“Is it working?” she asked with a sly smile.

“What do you think?” he growled as he sank to his knees, pressing his lips to smooth front of her slim check pants.

“Luke,” she whispered.

“I know, I know. I know he’s down there, but I don’t care.”

“We can’t,” she gasped.

“We won’t,” he said, his hot breath seeping through the fabric. “Not now. We will, but not now.” Luke grasped her narrow waist and pressed his face to her stomach as he tried to rein in his raging lust.

When he looked up at her at last, he smiled wickedly. “I’m going to go back down there. I’m going to drink that beer, and talk to Steve and watch the rest of the game,” he said in a deep, rasping voice. “But I’m going to be thinking about you, about this. And you’ll be thinking about it too.”

Lorelai whimpered softly and he chuckled. “You can wait. You’ve been teasing me all day, so it’s your turn to wait.” He rocked back onto his heels and then groaned, his knees protesting as he stood up. “You’re welcome to join us, if you want.”

Lorelai shook her head and then tugged her sweater down into place. “I need to call Rory.”

Luke nodded slowly as he pulled her away from the door and hugged her tightly. “I really like your new pants and stuff,” he said gruffly. “Be sure to tell her you were right.”

“You know I will.” Lorelai turned her head and kissed him softly. “Hold that thought,” she whispered as she reached behind her to turn the knob and opened the door.

“You know I will,” Luke answered as she slipped from his embrace.

“Good,” Lorelai said, practically skipping down the steps ahead of him.

Luke rolled his eyes as she paused at the foot of the stairs, tapping her foot impatiently as she raised a mocking eyebrow. “I guess you’re not in bad shape for an old guy,” she said as he brushed past her on his way to the living room.

Luke paused and then gave her a nod. “I can still make a pass.”

Lorelai smiled brightly as she turned toward the kitchen and walked away, swaying her hips provocatively. Luke shook his head and backed into the living room, tripping over his own feet when he tried to straighten them out.

“Never an ottoman around when you need one,” Steve said dryly, as he propped his feet on the ottoman in front of the chair and took a sip of his beer.