jesouhaite47

Title: Labor of Love
Author: JeSouhaite
Rating: Adult
Summary: A post-S5 fic...with a twist.
Disclaimer: Wait, let me check. Nope. Still not mine.
Author's Note: This is my Lukesmut Ficathon story, written for spy_barbie and Xenrielle.

The smut is coming (hee!)...just not yet. You'll have to wait for chapter 3 for that. Hopefully, chapter 2 is enjoyable even without the nookie.

I must take another opportunity to thank the betas: sosmitten23, thestickywicket, and em_meredith. I do not, however, appreciate them getting their baseball cooties on me.

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Chapter Two – Chuppahs and Hellos


He hates weddings. He's always hated weddings. He hates dressing up in uncomfortable clothes to watch two people sappily pledge to spend their lives together – especially since he's resigned himself to the likelihood that he'll be spending his life alone.

Lorelai's wedding – it's a knife to the gut even thinking those words – Lorelai's wedding is no exception. But he'll go, and he'll smile, and he'll pretend that he's not dying just a little watching her get married. He's agonized over a gift, knowing that something traditional just won't cut it. A gift for Lorelai needs to be as unique and beautiful as the woman herself. Finally, the idea comes to him. He heads to his makeshift woodshop, already seeing the curves and spirals of the wood in his mind.

It's killing him that she's marrying someone else. He wants her. But more importantly, he wants her to be happy. So he builds her a chuppah. It's the only way he can think of to say goodbye.


~*~*~*~*~

July 2005

"What kind of crazy person tries to plan a wedding in six weeks?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Luke asked wryly. He was behind the counter working on his mid-week orders while Lorelai sat on a stool, the remains of her breakfast and every wedding book, list, and catalog ever created spread on the counter around her. "I told you we should elope. What's wrong with Vegas?"

Personally, Luke could think of a million things that were wrong with Vegas, but that wasn't the point. The last thing he wanted was for his wedding to turn into the latest Stars Hollow freak show. Knowing Lorelai as well as he did, he thought a wedding in Las Vegas might be the perfect enticement to convince her to elope. The way he figured, being married by a lunatic singing Love Me Tender was the lesser of two freak shows.

"There's nothing wrong with Vegas," Lorelai responded with a small grin. "In fact, I imagine Vegas to be pretty close to heaven on earth. But we're not eloping, no matter how cool it would be to have Elvis pronounce us husband and wife right before breaking into Burning Love."

"You’re really going to make me get dressed up and stand in front of every lunatic in this town."

"Yes, I am. And you’re going to love it."

Luke sighed. He knew this was a fight he wasn’t going to win. And besides, he had to admit, the thought of Lorelai walking down the aisle to him was more than a little appealing.

Two weeks ago, his life turned completely upside down. He still hadn't completely come to terms with the fact that he was going to be a father. Lorelai had adjusted to their impending parenthood relatively easily, if you didn't count her cursing at him during her infrequent bouts of morning sickness. Luke had accompanied her to the doctor's office and held her hair while she threw up, but it still didn't seem real. It was almost like he couldn't process both the reality of Lorelai's pregnancy and their upcoming wedding. He had been focusing on getting through the wedding. Or maybe, to put it more accurately, getting Lorelai through the wedding planning.

"What's wrong now?"

She glared at him a little. "I'm going to ignore the tone of that comment, and pretend your words conveyed appropriate interest and concern." Resting her forehead in the palm of her hand, she continued, "The wedding is in less than a month, and I’m never going to get everything done."

Ah, so it wasn't a new source of panic. He'd heard that one before. He'd heard that one repeatedly since they'd set the wedding date. "Lorelai, we don't have to get married right away. We can take our time."

Lorelai lifted her head and made an exasperated noise. "Luke! We've talked about this! I know it's sickeningly traditional of me, but I'd like to be married before the baby comes, and I don't want to look like I'm smuggling a watermelon under my wedding dress. That means we have to get married before I start looking like a beached whale."

"You're not going to look like a beached whale. Besides, I have the perfect answer. Vegas." He knew he was pushing her buttons, but he couldn't help himself. She was just so damned cute when she got irritated.

Lorelai's response wasn't so much an answer as a stifled scream.

Luke put his hands up in surrender and took an instinctual half step back. "Fine. Topic closed. We're getting married here with the cast of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in attendance." He figured it was probably in his best interest to change the subject. "What are you worried about? I thought we were keeping things small, and that Sookie, Miss Patty, and Babette were helping."

"We are. They are. The Dragonfly is booked, and the staff is doing a great job with set-up plans. Sookie has taken it upon herself to create the perfect menu/cake combination, to the point that her house has become a very scary testing ground. Miss Patty and Babette are helping with the music and flowers and some other reception-type things, and have sworn to repeat the word 'tasteful' throughout the entire process. I think I've got the dress under control. Invitations are in the mail. You've got Reverend Skinner on stand-by and, hopefully, are working on the honeymoon plans..." At the last, she raised an expectant eyebrow.

"The honeymoon plans are under way. And don't ask because I'm not telling you."

"Mean." He thought her pouty lip was adorable. Not that he'd ever tell her that.

"Not mean. Surprises are fun, as you remind me constantly." He loved that he was able to give her a little taste of her own medicine, keeping her in the dark about their honeymoon destination. "Anyway, it sounds like things are under control to me. And we still have a month."

"I know. It's just..."

Luke could tell that Lorelai had more than just wedding plans on her mind. "What?"

"Nothing. It's nothing. I'm just being hormonal, I guess."

Luke put both hands on the counter and pulled out his best 'don't try to fool me' voice. "Lorelai."

"I just always assumed that when I got married, Rory would be my maid of honor and I'd be going through the planning with her... But things are the way they are, and I'm okay with that." Luke knew she was lying through her teeth, but he admired her attempt to make the best of things. "I think my hormones are getting the best of me. It's really nothing." She'd been fiddling nervously with her watch as she spoke, then seemed to realize the time. "Oh crap! I need to get to the inn." She started gathering her things, and Luke pulled out a to-go cup and filled it with decaf. He recognized Lorelai's avoidance technique, but he chose to let it pass.

He handed Lorelai the cup, ignoring the way her nose wrinkled in distaste as she took it. "Will I see you for dinner?"

"I'll be here." She leaned across the counter to give him a kiss then moved to the door. "Don't forget you need to pick up your new suit from the tailor. You are going to look soooo snazzy."

Luke grimaced. "Don't refer to me as snazzy."

"Snazzy Danes. That's you my friend." Lorelai teased as the bell above the door jingled.

"Vegas!" he called to her retreating back.

As Luke went about the rest of his morning in the diner, Lorelai's comments nagged at him. He knew she was still upset over things with Rory, but he was beginning to think her unhappiness ran deeper than she was letting on.

Lorelai had worried over how to tell Rory about the baby and the engagement. A phone call was so impersonal, but she wasn't sure how Rory would take her showing up at the Gilmore estate to talk. As a compromise, she'd called and invited Rory to lunch. As she explained to Luke, that gave both she and Rory time to mentally prepare, and had the added advantage of neutral ground.

They'd met at Weston's, so Luke didn't know firsthand what had happened. According to Lorelai, Rory was happy about the baby and the wedding, but the news had done nothing to narrow the gulf between mother and daughter. The air between them remained chilly. Luke knew that Lorelai had hoped the news would be an opening for her and Rory to start working things out, and he could tell how disappointed she was that it had changed nothing.

Lorelai had been planning to ask Rory to be her maid of honor, but for the first time in her life, wasn't sure if Rory would say yes. In the end, she didn't ask. Luke told her that of course Rory would say yes, but Lorelai wasn't convinced. The subject had dropped for a few days, until Lorelai suggested not having any attendants stand up with them at the wedding. Luke tried to protest, because he knew how much she wanted Rory with her. But, in the end, he understood why she made the suggestion: she'd rather have no one with her than have someone other than Rory. Hell, it made it a lot easier for him. Jess wasn't sure he could make it up to Stars Hollow that weekend, and Lord knows there was no way Luke was asking Kirk.

Luke was having a hard time working through his own feelings about Rory. He couldn't have loved her more if she were his own daughter, but she'd hurt Lorelai by dropping out of Yale and turning to her grandparents. On top of that, Lorelai was going through major life changes and needed her daughter. The only thing keeping him from being angry with Rory was the knowledge that her life was in upheaval as well, and the separation had to be just as hard on her as it was on Lorelai.

He should have known Lorelai would be taking this harder than she was letting him see. He knew she was happy about the baby and excited about the wedding, but he hated that her happiness was tinged with pain. Luke wasn't sure if it would do any good, but knew he at least had to try to fix things.


~*~*~*~*~


"Luke?"

Luke stood at the entrance to the pool house, stuffing his hands into his pockets and hoping he didn't look as uncertain as he felt. "Hi Rory."

Rory held the door, the shock of finding Luke on her doorstep evident on her face. "Do you want to come in?"

"Yeah, if that's okay."

Rory held the door open and motioned him inside. After she closed the door behind him, they stood, awkward and uncomfortable. Finally, Rory broke the silence. "I'm assuming that you didn't stop by just because you were in the neighborhood."

Luke let out a small nervous chuckle. "No. I wanted to talk to you."

"Did my mom send you?" He could hear suspicion in her voice, and if he wasn't mistaken, more than a little hope.

"God, no. She doesn't know I'm here. She'd probably kill me if she knew."

"Then why are you here?" Rory seemed genuinely confused by his presence.

He decided to just spit it out. "Look, Rory. I know things with your mom are complicated, and I'm not trying to interfere. You two need to work out whatever it is you need to work out. But she's unhappy, and I hate to see her unhappy. If I know you at all, this probably isn't making you want to do cartwheels in the street either. It's just... Your mom's stressed about the wedding and it's making her sad that you're not a part of it."

Rory crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the ground. "I'm not sure what you're getting at, Luke. If Mom wants something from me, she just needs to pick up the phone and call."

"But that's just the thing, Rory. The way things are she feels like she can't just pick up the phone and call."

"That's silly. She knows –"

"Does she, Rory? I think the one thing your mom has learned in the last month or so is that she doesn't know you the way she thinks she does." He blew out a breath, frustrated at his inability to find the right words. "For the first time in her life, she's unsure of you, and that's killing her."

"I don't know what you're asking, here." She shifted on her feet, her face taking on that stubborn yet insecure expression he'd seen so often on her mother's face. If she was as much like Lorelai as he suspected, Luke knew he had to appeal to her before she got too defensive.

"I'm not saying that you guys need to work everything out right now, today. It's going to take time. That's how these things are. But the wedding is coming up in a few weeks, and it would be nice if it could be a happy day for your mom, not clouded over by the fact that she's missing you. You guys don't have to come to a complete truce. Maybe just a temporary cease-fire. But she's not going to make the first step. I'm asking you to do that."

Rory bit her lip, dropping her hands in front of her. "Luke, I don't know if I can. Things with Mom are... I don't think she understands... And I know I hurt her, but she hurt me, too. And I'm not sure..." She trailed off, as if unable to even explain the situation to herself.

"It's going to be hard. I'm not saying it's not. But I think your mom's worth it. And I think you're enough of your mother's daughter to be able to do it. Just think about it."

Rory sighed and gave a slight nod of her head. "I'll think about it."

"Okay. Good. That's good. Then I guess I'll..." he motioned to the door, and Rory opened it for him. As he was walking out, he turned. "Are you doing okay? Is there anything you need? Anything I can help with? I noticed you've got a squeaky hinge here. I could fix that for you.".

Rory smiled. "No, I think I'm okay. But thanks for offering."

"Just... think about what I said."

"I will."

Luke left Hartford with a gnawing sense of disappointment. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but he knew that he hadn't gotten it. As the next few days passed, he tried to put the conversation with Rory out of his mind. He’d hoped for the best, but decided there really was nothing more he could do. He had finally succeeded in not thinking about it when the diner phone rang.

"Luke's."

"Luke, it's Rory. I've been thinking. About what we talked about."

"Good. That's good."

"I have an idea, but I need your help."


~*~*~*~*~


How he got himself into these situations, he had no idea. He hated parties. He hated girly parties. But here he was, helping Rory decorate the diner for a surprise wedding shower for Lorelai. He was hanging up white paper bells, for crying out loud. The diner looked, well, girly was the only word he could come up with. Streamers, balloons, the stupid paper bells. Ridiculous. That was the word. The diner looked ridiculous.

But Lorelai would love it, and that was all that mattered.

"Luke?" Rory called, hopping down from her perch on a chair where she'd been putting up what he hoped was the last of the streamers.

"Yeah?"

"You're sure my mom doesn't suspect anything?"

"I'm positive. You know your mom. If she thought something was going on, she'd be grilling me for information. Between all the wedding planning and being so tired from the whole...you know...baby thing... she's missed all the signs that something was going on behind her back."

Luke was a little surprised that Lorelai seemed completely oblivious to the planning for the shower. In the two weeks since Rory's call, Rory and Sookie and their minions had phoned, visited, shopped, and plotted to pull together a shower. All, apparently, leaving Lorelai none the wiser.

Rory had moved in front of the counter where Luke was setting out hors d'oeuvres, settling on a stool before asking, "What plan did you and Sookie finally settle on for keeping her away and then getting her here?"

He grimaced. "You mean the one I finally forced Sookie to settle on? Good Lord that woman is impossible. We knew your mom had an afternoon tea booked, so she'd be tied up at the Inn until at least six. Sookie convinced her that they needed to have a 'girl's dinner' here at the diner tonight, and she's going to call when they're getting ready to leave so that we'll know they're coming."

"Luke, I really appreciate your help with this."

Trying not to smirk, Luke responded, "Yeah, well, you owe me."

Soon enough the decorations were done, the food was all laid out, and the guests had arrived. Sookie had called and they expected Lorelai to walk in the door any minute. Luke was behind the counter, just waiting until she got there so that he could retreat to his apartment and away from female rituals he never really wanted to know anything about.

Miss Patty, who had been keeping watch, loudly whispered "I see them!" moments before the bell over the door jingled.

"Surprise!"

Luke smiled at the stunned expression on Lorelai's face as she took everything in. She began to smile and laugh once she realized what was going on, but when her eyes landed on Rory standing nervously by a stool, the smile faded and Luke could see her whole body tense.

Sookie put her arm around Lorelai and shook her a bit. "Lorelai! Isn't this great! Rory came up with the idea of a surprise shower! We've been so excited!"

Sookie's words were just the thing to cut through the tension. Lorelai's smile returned, though a bit wary, and her body relaxed a bit as she walked further into the diner. "Well, I certainly am surprised. You guys didn't have to go to all this trouble."

"Nonsense, sugar," Babette piped in. "If anyone deserves a fabulous bridal shower, it's you. And none of us were gonna let you get gypped out of it just because of ...you know," she made a motion to her stomach, "and the fact that you're gettin' married so quick."

Luke felt himself blush. He still wasn't used to people talking about the baby, but Lorelai just took the comment in stride. "Aw. I appreciate it. Really."

After a few people stopped her to talk, Lorelai finally made her way to Rory. Luke had been inching his way toward the stairs, but decided he'd better stick close for a few more minutes, just in case.

"This is really a surprise, kid. I didn't expect to see you here."

"I hope it's okay." Rory's tone was tentative.

"It's more than okay. I'm...touched and...overwhelmed. This really was your idea?"

Rory shrugged. "I've had this picture in my mind that when you got married, I'd plan a great shower for you. So, here we are..."

Lorelai looked to be fighting tears as she reached out to hug Rory. While mother and daughter embraced, Luke took the opportunity to head up to his apartment, knowing that he was no longer needed.

It wasn't much later that Luke was on his couch, beer in hand, feet propped on the coffee table as he watched the Red Sox beat up on the Yankees. He was toasting Nixon hitting a home run off of Randy Johnson, of all the improbable things, when Lorelai opened the door.

"The party can't be over already, can it?" He said, putting his feet on the floor and his beer on the table.

"No, it's still going strong. I snuck away for a minute." Lorelai walked over and sat on the table across from him, taking his hands in both of hers. "I just wanted to come up and say thanks."

"For letting them use the diner? It's no big deal. Although this is the last time my diner is ever going to be decorated so...girly. And I told Rory and Sookie that I expect every last streamer to be gone before –"

Lorelai cut him off with a kiss. "Not for the diner. Although, I do appreciate that. I'm talking about Rory."

With a shrug, he asked, "What about Rory? She called and asked if she could use the diner. Needed a little help with the surprise aspect of things."

"I know you went to see her. She told me."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

Luke felt more than a little sheepish. "Lorelai, I wasn't trying to interfere, and I didn't push her into doing something she didn't want. You were both just being so stubborn –"

She cut him off with another kiss, cupping his jaw with her hand. "Luke, don't apologize. It was incredibly sweet. Thank you."

"Oh. Well. You're welcome."

Lorelai squeezed his hand and gave him another slow kiss before standing up to head to the door. Hand on the knob, she turned and shot Luke a flirty smile. "I'll be thinking of ways to show you my appreciation later, after everyone's gone."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Luke picked up his beer and sat back into the couch with a grin. "Because I have a suggestion."

"Really," Lorelai answered in a saucy tone. "What might that be?"

Raising an eyebrow, Luke replied, "Vegas."

Lorelai just laughed and walked out of the apartment and back to her party.


~*~*~*~*~


They couldn't have asked for a better day for the wedding. For late July, the weather was surprisingly cool and comfortable. The sun was low in the early evening sky, casting a beautiful glow over the setting. Though it wasn't really his thing, Luke had to admit that Lorelai had worked miracles in the short time she'd had to plan. Lights in the trees, strategically placed flowers – it was absolutely beautiful.

Now, if only he could calm the hell down. Standing on the back lawn of the Dragonfly, clean-shaven and in his new Lorelai-selected suit, Luke was a bundle of nerves. He wasn't nervous about getting married – he'd never been more sure of anything in his life. No, it was standing there under the scrutinizing gaze of what felt like the entire world that was making Luke jumpy. He felt ridiculous squirming like a five year old, and he ordered himself to just stand still.

His gaze swept over the seated crowd, sharing a small smile with Rory who was seated in the front row. He skipped quickly over Richard and Emily, sitting behind her. He did note that they were doing an admirable job of masking their disapproval -- they must have known how lucky they were that Lorelai had relented to invite them at all. Finally he saw Liz, sitting across the aisle and trying to get his attention. She was mouthing something, but he couldn't make it out, so he gave a slight shake of his head.

She mouthed the word slower, and Luke finally understood. "Relax." Didn't she know he was trying?

He took a deep breath, hoping to steady himself, silently wishing he'd succeed in talking Lorelai into eloping. Just then, the music changed. He lifted his head and there she was, standing at the far end of the aisle. The moment he saw her, his nerves melted away like ice in the summer sun.

She took his breath away.

He'd always considered Lorelai beautiful, but walking down the aisle toward him, she was a vision. Her hair was piled on her head in a messy arrangement of curls with small flowers tucked here and there. Luke was sure the hairdo had a name, but all he knew is that it was incredibly sexy. Her white dress left her arms bare, and the simple style accentuated her long and lean body. She had told him that she chose the dress – empire something or other – because it would hide her pregnant belly. She shouldn't have worried. As it was, Luke was probably the only one who noticed the gentle swell of her stomach. Still, the dress was perfect. She was perfect.

And then she was next to him, taking his hand as they turned to face Reverend Skinner, standing together under the chuppah he'd built for her so long ago. The ceremony itself passed in a blur of sensation for Luke. The blue of her eyes as she looked into his and said her vows. The pink of her lips turned up in a serene smile as he repeated the words to her. The flush on her cheeks as they exchanged rings. The intoxicating scent of her perfume mixed with the flowers around them as Reverend Skinner pronounced them husband and wife. The feel of her lips on his as he kissed his wife for the first time.

The reception was a whirlwind. There were pictures, and food, and what seemed like the entire population of Stars Hollow clinking their glasses to force the newlyweds to kiss. Luke didn't think he'd blushed that often since puberty. And then he was dancing with Lorelai, smiling into her eyes as he had a year ago when they'd danced the first time, the rest of the world disappearing as he held her in his arms. Later, he'd been surprised when Rory asked him to dance, and exceptionally touched when she welcomed him to the family and told him how glad she was to call him her step-dad.

The party was in full swing as Luke walked through the dining room, on his way back to the reception outside, and spotted Lorelai coming toward him

"There you are."

"Yeah. I had to come wash my hands. I feel like I've shaken hands with every single person out there, and they're all sticky. What on earth are we feeding these people that would make them so sticky? And why do they all need to touch me? I swear if Miss Patty pinches my cheek one more time..."

"Oh, poor baby," she said with mock sympathy, patting his cheek before grabbing his hand and pulling him behind her. "Come with me."

"Lorelai, where are we going?" Luke asked, confused that she was leading him up the stairs instead of back to the party outside. "Lorelai? What's going on?"

"Shhh. In here." She pulled him into room seven, the one she'd used earlier to get ready, and closed the door behind them. Before he could say another word, she'd spun them both and pushed his back against the door, kissing him for all she was worth. His arms instinctively went around her, and after a moment of shock, he returned the kiss with equal fervor.

After several pleasurable moments, they broke the kiss to catch their breath.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what brought that on?"

Lorelai grinned. "I just wanted a minute alone with my husband."

Husband. My God, he was her husband. "I like the way that sounds."

"What? A minute alone?"

"You know what I mean. You called me your husband."

"You are my husband," Lorelai teased, toying with his lapels.

He felt like he was never going to stop smiling. "I'm aware of that. I just like the way it sounds when you say it."

"Well, that's a good thing, then, because I like saying it."

Luke brought his hands up to cradle her face, stroking her cheekbones with his thumbs. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Lorelai echoed, then reached up to take his left hand. "Also, this?" she said, indicating his wedding ring. "Total turn on. I keep catching glimpses of it and it makes me want to jump you."

Luke laughed and kissed her again. "Feel free to act on that urge any time you want. Unfortunately, we do have a whole lot of people waiting for us downstairs."

Lorelai's smile was slow and seductive. "Let 'em wait," she responded, pulling his lips to hers once again.

Just when Luke had decided he couldn't care less about the guests and was trying to figure out how to get Lorelai out of that dress, she pulled back.

"Wait."

"What?"

"I just thought of something." She flashed him a flirty smile. "I don't think we've been properly introduced."

He looked at her like she was crazy. "What are you talking about?"

She leaned back just a bit and held out her hand, as if to shake his. "I'm Lorelai. Mrs. Lorelai Danes, to be exact."

Luke laughed at her silliness but thrilled at hearing her say the words. He reached for her hand, turned it over and brushed a soft kiss across the back. "Well, in that case... Hello, Mrs. Danes."