Hello, my loves. I know. I suck. It's been over two years. I quit my job and am doing online schooling. I've been quarantining up at my lake house for the last few days and there's not much cell reception here. Needless to say, I've had a lot more time on my hands. I've been spending my time drawing, reading, and now writing. I hope you love this chapter and I promise not to disappear for that long again. Happy reading!

xo, GilmoreBenson14

—

"Rory's coming out," she said as she slid under the thick comforter on their bed.

"Poor Dean," Luke quickly shot back. She giggled softly. Her wit was staring to rub off on him.

"She's coming out to society."

He continued to stare at her, puzzled.

"Cotillion, Luke. She's coming out to all the rich people of Hartford who occupy the world I dragged her away from."

"I take it your mother had something to do with this," he observed.

"Who else?" she said, letting out a long sigh and collapsing onto her pillow.

"You know, I almost had a cotillion."

"Makes sense. That was the world you were raised in," he said.

"Ironically," she said, "Rory was what got me out of it."

"Ah," he said. "You were pregnant?"

"Yup. My mom and I were in my bedroom trying on my dress and it didn't fit. She was pissed at the dress shop, thinking they gave her the wrong size. She called to bitch at them. I let it happen. I didn't have the heart to tell her or my dad yet."

"Knowing you, pregnant or not, you weren't keen on going anyway."

"Correct," she said, pointing her index finger at him. "So why is Rory so excited about this?"

"Maybe she's interested," he said. "Maybe she wants to experience the world you grew up in as a way of...I don't know...getting to know you better? I'm probably wrong but it's just one theory."

"You really think this is about me?"

"It could be. Or it could also be that she's a major people pleaser and she feels obligated to let your parents live out that dream they never could with you, to live vicariously through her," he offered.

"My money's on that theory. I just wish my mother would ask me about these things before she goes and does them. I mean, Rory is my daughter. I have a right to be consulted when my parents make decisions concerning my daughter, right?"

"Yes, of course. But Rory is old enough to make her own decisions. She's almost 17."

"Ugh, I know," she said. "I can't even believe that. My baby's all grown up."

"Yeah. That's got to be hard for you. Which is why this whole cotillion thing has got to be hard for you too. But, may I offer some insight?" he asked.

"Insight away," she gestured with her hand.

"Don't be mad at me, okay?"

"Oh no," she said. "It's never good when you say that. You know it's going to make me mad."

"Just hear me out. I know you."

"Okay. Proceed," she gestured again.

He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I think you're afraid that now that she's old enough to make her own decisions, she's going to choose the life you ran away from instead of the life you built for her here," he trailed off nervously.

She looked down at her hands in her lap and thought for a moment, a moment that felt all too long to Luke.

"You're right," she whispered softly, her head still looking down.

He scooted nearer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him and kissing her hair.

"That's not going to happen, Lorelai," he said.

She looked up at him, his eyes soft. "How do you know?"

"Because I've watched her grow up here. I've watched you grow up here. I've watched you two grow together. I've seen the life you've created for her here and I see how much she loves and admires you. You're her idol."

"Stop," she waved off his last sentence.

"If she could be anyone, she'd be you. You're her everything. I've seen you two up close and personal for years. I can promise you, without a flash of doubt in my mind, that she is not going to stray from you. Not ever."

"I just can't shake the thought that this is the first of many high class experiences she's going to want to take part in," she said.

"Maybe so. I don't think that's true but, even if it is, she'll always come back to you. She'll always come back here."

"I love the life I've made here," she said, smiling up at him.

"Lucky for me, you ran away from that cotillion and, 16 years later, right into my arms."

She smiled at his sentiment. "I love you," she whispered, tilting her face up toward his in a silent request for a kiss.

"I love you too," he said in a low voice, leaning down to brush his lips against hers.

—

"Rory!" she yelled from the foyer of their house. "Grandma's waiting!"

"I'm almost ready!" she shouted back from her bedroom.

"What are you getting ready for? Grandma has a makeup artist and hair stylist at the ballroom for you."

"I just want to look presentable. I'll be right out."

Lorelai retreated to the couch, not sure how long this would take, and opened the most recent copy from her Us Weekly subscription.

Seconds later, Luke walked through the front door.

"Hey," he said and Lorelai jumped.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"You're fine," she said, standing up and walking toward him. "It's me. I'm just a little on edge today."

"I know," he said, reaching for her waist and pulling her closer. He leaned down to kiss her.

"Hi," he smiled when they broke apart.

"Hey, handsome. You look quite dapper this morning," she winked while snaking her arms around his neck and pulling him back toward her.

"Get a room," Rory scoffed as she came out of her bedroom.

"As you wish." Lorelai grabbed Luke's hand and started walking toward the staircase. He smirked, playing along.

"Not now!" Rory rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

—

They arrived at the ballroom 15 minutes before Emily and Richard, who were both surprised by their early arrival.

"Luke," Richard said, "I applaud you for getting these girls to arrive somewhere on time."

Luke laughed, keen on taking the credit until Lorelai jumped in. "Um...excuse me. That was my doing."

"Well done, Luke," Richard said again while shaking his hand.

"Girls," Emily interrupted, clapping 3 times swiftly. "The dressing room awaits."

—

Rory's hair was half way done when her cell phone began to ring. Flipping it open, she raised it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey kiddo," said the voice on the other end.

"Hey dad!" she said excitedly. "I can't wait to see you!"

"About that...," he trailed off. "Listen kid, I can't make it."

"Oh," Rory replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"I really want to be there, Rory. I'm in town. I came here for you...," he trailed off, struggling to find his next words. "My dad had a heart attack about an hour ago. I'm at the hospital with him and my mom now. He's in pretty bad shape."

Rory noted the fear in her father's voice and knew he wasn't messing around.

"Oh my god, dad. I'm so sorry. What can I do?" she asked eagerly.

"There's nothing anyone can do right now, kid. All we can do at this point is wait. You go have fun. I'm so sorry I can't be there. I was really looking forward to it."

"Don't apologize. Go be with your parents. They need you. What hospital are you at?"

"St. Joseph's," he replied.

"I'll come see you when this thing is over."

"I'd like that. Thank you for understanding. I can't wait to see you, even under these circumstances."

"Me too. My hair stylist is getting a bit antsy," Rory said. "I've got to go finish getting ready. See you later, dad."

"See you later, kiddo. Have fun. I love you. Bye."

"I love you too. Bye," she said before flipping her phone closed and setting it on the vanity counter in front of her.

Lorelai emerged from the dressing room, donning a navy blue, floor-length, sleeveless gown. Rory turned to see her mom and gasped.

"Mamma Mia," she said, looking her mother up and down.

"You like?" Lorelai asked.

"I love. My mom is hot."

"I'm glad you're not a teenage male from the south because that statement would take on a very literal meaning," Lorelai said.

"Lorelai!" Emily said, hearing her crude comment.

She just shrugged shrugged her shoulders, smirked and made her way to the vanity next to Rory's, her own hair stylist and makeup artist ready for her.

A few minutes later, Rory said softly "Dad's not coming."

"What?!" Lorelai snapped, whipping her head around to face her daughter, her hair stylist reflexively dropping the flat iron to avoid getting burned.

"Don't freak out."

"What do you mean 'don't freak out'? He promised you he'd be here. I'm pissed. The one time he seemed like he wouldn't let you down." Lorelai's voice rose in frustration.

"His dad just had a heart attack."

"Oh my god. Is he okay? Your dad, I mean. His dad can kick rocks."

"Mom!" "Lorelai!" both Rory and Emily scolded simultaneously.

"Sorry. Bad timing," she muttered.

"Dad says he's in bad shape. I don't think I've ever heard dad sound scared before," Rory answered. "I'm going to go see him when this is all over. I'll take the bus back home."

"No, it's okay," Emily interjected. "I'll take you."

"I can take her mom, it's fine."

"Christopher's parents don't need anymore stress on them than they already have right now. I know it's not your fault that they've been nothing but cruel to you but I think it's best you stay away, if for no other reason than to not kill a man."

Lorelai nodded in agreement.

"I'll bring her home too. It's no problem."

"Thanks, mom."

"So who's going to give me away now?" Rory asked.

"I'm sure grandpa will be happy to do it. Right, mom?" Lorelai asked, turning her attention to Emily.

"I'm sure he'd be honored. But I think you should ask Luke," Emily suggested. "He's the closest thing you have to a real father figure and soon enough, he will be your stepdad. It only makes sense that he gives you away."

"Luke really isn't the debutant dad type," Rory laughed.

"He would love it," Lorelai said. "I'm going to go ask him, as long that's what you want."

"You think he'll say yes?" Rory asked.

"I know he will. I'll be right back," Lorelai said, patting her daughter on the knee and standing up.

She descended the staircase to the ballroom's foyer and spotted Richard and Luke chatting in the corner, each with a glass of scotch in their hands.

"Hey," she said walking up to them.

They turned their heads and Luke's mouth opened, slightly agape. He was unable to take his eyes off of her.

"Lorelai," Richard said. "You look lovely."

"Thanks, dad," she smiled. Turning her attention to Luke, whose eyes were still glued to her body, she pushed his arm playfully. "You alright there, cool hand?" she asked.

"Oh...y-yeah," he croaked, still eying her.

"My boy, though is to become your wife, that's still my daughter you're staring at like that," Richard said.

Luke came back down to earth, snapping his attention to Richard's voice. "S-Sorry," he apologized, finally managing to lift his jaw.

"Like what you see?" she asked with a wink.

Luke turned his head back toward her. "You're...breathtaking," he nearly whispered.

"Thank you, sir. You clean up pretty nice yourself."

"Nothing like that," Luke responded, gesturing to her dress.

"Well, you're really not supposed to see me yet. I'm not done. But I had to come talk to you. Christopher can't make it to give Rory away," she told them.

"What?!," they said in tandem.

"Yeah that was pretty much my reaction."

"Once again, he lets my granddaughter down," Richard scoffed.

"His dad had a heart attack, dad."

"Straub? When?," his face turned to concern.

"About an hour ago. Chris is with him and his mom at St. Joseph's. He told Rory it's not looking too good."

"Oh my," Luke sympathized. "Are they okay? Is there anything we can do?"

Lorelai smiled in adoration of the man she loved being willing to help her ex and his family.

"Not right now," she said. "There's nothing they can do but wait. My mom and Rory are going to see them after this."

"You should go with them," Luke said.

"No, that's okay."

"Lorelai. It's fine, really. I'm not worried about it."

"It's not that. If it was Christopher, of course I'd go. But his parents and I have a long-standing history of not getting along. It would just make things worse for them if I showed up."

"I agree with Lorelai," Richard said. "It's best that she stay away."

"Okay," Luke said. "Whatever you're comfortable with."

"Thank you," she said, giving his arm a light squeeze. "Anyway, the reason I came down here is because Christopher was supposed to give Rory away but since he can't come, Rory was wondering if you will do it."

"She wants me to give her away?" Luke asked, caught a little off guard by the sudden change in plans.

"If you're okay with it, yeah. If not, dad can do it," she said nodding her head toward Richard.

"I'd be happy to but I think it's a great idea for Luke to give her away. After all, he is going to be her stepfather," Richard said.

"Agreed. So what do you think?" she asked, thinking how dashing her fiancé looked in the suit he was wearing.

"Um...yeah. I guess I can do that. Although I'm not exactly familiar with what to do."

"I'll give you the rundown," Richard said. "I've been to dozens of these."

"Okay. Sure," he said then turning his attention to Lorelai. "Tell her I'd be honored," he smiled.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. She's going to be so happy," she exclaimed, a squeal of excitement eliciting from her throat. She raised up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek in gratitude and quickly dashed back up the marble staircase.

—

Lorelai and her parents stood in anticipation of Rory's appearance.

Since the letter G was closer to the beginning of the alphabet, she would be one of the first debutants to be presented.

Elegant music played and Emily proposed a toast. "To Rory," she raised her glass of champagne, Richard and Lorelai following suit, three sounds of glass clinking."

"To Rory," they echoed.

10 minutes later, they heard her name.

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, accompanied by her step-father-to-be, Lucas Danes," the emcee announced.

Around the corner, Luke and Rory appeared, their arms linked. Lorelai couldn't help thinking how grown up and beautiful her daughter looked. Nor could she ignore the gorgeous man who she would soon call her husband. The two donned radiant smiles, both bright and almost blindingly white.

"You'd never tell they're not related," Emily remarked.

"You think?" Lorelai asked, briefly turning her attention over her shoulder.

A rush of contentment came over her as she watched her daughter and fiancé descend down the stairs. She felt strangely at ease, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. And to some extent, it was. Sure, this was definitely not Luke's scene. But, if he was feeling uncomfortable, he gave no indication.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, the clean air refreshing her lungs and calming her all the more. This, she thought, feels perfect.

She'd always feared the day she'd fall in love and let a man climb up into the metaphorical No Boys Allowed treehouse. She feared for so long that her relationship with Rory would never be the same if a third person came into their lives and took his place in their family. But, by some stroke of luck, twist of fate, or alignment of the stars, she managed to fall in love with the one person who she knew would put her daughter not only before himself, but even before her.

She thought back to the day that Rory had been riding her bike through the town square. She'd been around 8 years old. Without warning, her front tire hit a bump in the sidewalk and she went flying forward, scraping both knees and an elbow. A man, who couldn't have been older than 30, ran out of a nearby diner with a first aid kit in his right hand. Kneeling down next to Rory, he took out a paper towel and wiped the excess blood from her skin. He cleaned her up further with a few antiseptic wipes.

"This might sting a little but if you'll be brave for me, I've got a milkshake inside just for you," he smiled.

Rory's cries began to subside and the slightest hint of a smile crept across her face.

"Can you be brave for me?" he asked.

Rory nodded.

"Okay," he said. He brought a wipe to each of her wounds, making sure the skin was rid of any residual blood and dirt. Rory flinched and whimpered each time the alcohol-soaked wipe came in contact with her exposed wounds, but she was comforted by the conversation he held with her.

"What's your name?" he asked her, his voice gentle.

"Rory," she said.

"It's nice to meet you, Rory. My name is Luke."

"Hi," she whispered.

"How old are you, kiddo?"

"8. I'll be 9 soon."

"Almost 9. Wow. You're almost a big girl," he told her.

"I already am a big girl," she said, crossing her arms across her chest and pouting.

"Of course, you're right. Only a big girl can be this brave."

When he was done using the antiseptic wipes, he applied antibiotic ointment and covered each wound with a large bandaid.

"How does that feel?" he asked.

"A little better," she mumbled.

"How would it feel with a milkshake?" he smiled at her.

"A lot better," she said as her eyes lit up and a toothless smile spread wide across her face.

"Is your mom okay with it?" he asked, turning his attention to the woman who was holding her. It wasn't until he looked at her that he noticed how strikingly pretty she was.

"Mommy? Is it okay?" Rory asked. Lorelai couldn't say no to that face.

"Yeah, baby. It's okay," she answered

"You can have one too," Luke said to her.

"Well in that case, it's more than okay," she told him, her face nearly as excited as her daughter's.

Luke and Rory embraced at the bottom of the staircase and he handed her off to Dean. He made his way through the crowd until he spotted Lorelai. He took his place next to her and turned his attention back to the presentation of the debutants.

Lorelai reached between them, lacing her fingers through his and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he said, placing a chaste kiss to her temple.

—

Dinner had been finished and it was Dean who ended up taking Rory to see Christopher.

Luke and Lorelai found themselves swaying together on the dance floor, Richard and Emily doing the same close by.

"You were great today," she said, her warm breath tingling his ear.

"Ah, it was no big deal."

"It was to Rory. And to me," she said, moving her head so they were face to face. "Thank you."

"You bet," he nodded. "Have I told you how amazing you look?"

"You weren't able to verbalize it but I gathered that's what you were thinking when you couldn't pick your jaw up off the floor earlier," she laughed.

He looked down, chuckling softly, and blushed.

"You're beautiful," he said. "If you look like this now, I can only imagine how you'll look on our wedding day."

"I'll be sure to see to it that your jaw drops even further," she promised.

"Let's just hope I can pick it up in time to say our vows."

She blushed at his subtlety as he hit on her.

"By the way, you look amazing too. Very handsome," she said, never breaking their gaze.

"I know how to clean up when I want to."

"You're almost as hot as me," she said.

"Almost."

"I'd say we're the hottest couple in the room," she conceded, laying her head back on his shoulder and nuzzling her nose into his neck, breathing him in.

"I'd say so too," he agreed, kissing her hair and holding her, thrilled at knowing he'd never have to let go.