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At first, Lorelai thought she was just working too hard. But when Sookie called to let her know she wouldn't be at work that day and expressed her worry over Davey's high fever, she began to put two and two together. During her lunch with the Belleville family at Luke's a week ago, she'd been unable to resist smooching all over those chubby baby cheeks. Her first reaction was to ignore the uncharacteristic sluggishness. For a few days, she walked around the unfinished Dragonfly Inn, answering Tom's questions and trying to pretend she was fine. But when she almost lost her balance while standing still, she knew she ought to go home and get some rest.
As she drove back to her house, the stress that she had been under during the past several weeks compounded. The last minute details for the Dragonfly, her mom currently moved into a hotel room, and the dissolution of her relationship with Jason all battled for supremacy. She cursed herself for drinking that giant bottle of vodka at Jason's apartment. It couldn't have been great for her immune system, already compromised by stress and poor sleep. Her head pounded like a timpani. Her body ached all over and, once she stumbled through her front door, she didn't even have the energy to climb the stairs. She collapsed on the couch, pulling down the afghan draped over the back to cover herself.
When Rory walked inside the house hours later, she immediately saw her mother curled up under a blanket on the couch, her face pressed into a cushion. "Mom, are you okay?" she asked worriedly, peering down at the Lorelai-shaped lump.
"Huh?" came the muffled reply.
"I've been calling and calling, and you haven't answered. I finally got ahold of Sookie and she said you were sick."
"Oh, yeah. Sick," Lorelai mumbled, lifting the blanket over her head. Rory searched blindly underneath the covering and felt her mother's forehead. She gasped.
"Oh my god, Mom, you're burning up!" She tried to tug her mother off the couch, but Lorelai rolled onto the floor. "Can you stand?" she fretted. "Because I can't lift you."
"Unnhhh," she heard her mother groan from underneath the blanket. Rory stood up and looked around wildly, her eyes falling to the phone.
"Should I call Jason?" she asked, picking up the receiver.
"Broke up," her mother replied listlessly, not moving from where she fell between the couch and the coffee table.
"Oh, I'm… sorry," Rory said haltingly.
"Don't be," returned the disembodied voice.
"Well, I need someone strong enough to carry you up the stairs," she said, holding the phone in two hands, trying to think.
"Fabio?" Even when sick, the quips keep coming, thought Rory. She tried to think of all the people who could help, who would be strong enough to lift her mother up the stairs. Only one suitable person came to mind.
"I'll call Luke," she said decisively.
I love your lovin' arms,
They hold a world of charms,
A place to nestle when I am lonely.
Luke lifted her like she weighed nothing, and carried up her up the stairs. He wasn't used to such a silent Lorelai, but aside from a few pathetic sounding grunts, she wasn't saying a word. He settled her on the bed, still wearing the dressy blouse and pencil skirt she had worn to the Inn, and pulled a sheet up over her.
"Where are the babies?" she mumbled, eyes still closed.
"What babies?" he asked, bending down closer to her.
Her eyes snapped open. She looked straight at him, panicked. "Our babies!" she cried. "Our twins, Leopold and Loeb! Where are they?" She reached out and grabbed his shirt in her fists and he could see she was frantic.
Twins. Dream. She must be dreaming. "Uh, I fed them dinner and put them to bed, they're fine."
She instantly relaxed her grip on his shirt and fell back onto the pillow, eyes closing again. "You're such a good daddy, Luke," she breathed. He felt an unexpected twinge of some unnamed feeling in his gut. But nothing could prepare him for the next words out of her mouth. As he bent down to stroke her hair, she whispered, "Love you."
He froze. Then, before he realized what he was saying, he replied, his voice thick, "I love you, too." He pushed a few stray hairs out of her face, and left the room.
As he descended the stairs, Rory was pacing. "What happened? I heard yelling," she said, and he could tell she was worried by the pensive twist of her mouth.
"Uh, she was dreaming that she had twins, and she just wanted to know her babies were okay," he said. He stood in front of her at the bottom of the stairs, staring at his shoes, wondering if he should start preparing some soup or just get the hell out of there.
"Twins?" she asked. He looked up at her, and he saw her eyes were narrowed. "She ever tell you about her twin dream?"
He blushed a little. "Uh, yeah, she mentioned it."
"So you know that you, uh…" She waved her arm to gesture toward him. Obviously, Lorelai had also told Rory about her dream with the alarm clocks and the twins and the decaf.
He let out a deep breath, his gaze falling back to the floor. "Yeah, I know."
She reached out to touch his arm briefly. He looked up, and saw her worried expression change to sympathy. "Are you okay? You seem… sad."
"I'm fine," he replied firmly, holding out his palms. "Really."
"Are you sure?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
He began to feel a little unnerved. "She's delirious with fever," he said, waving away her concerned look. "It means nothing."
"Luke," Rory said softly, and in that moment she was the spitting image of her mother. He felt the walls closing in around him.
"I'm going to get some food at Doose's," he said, practically sprinting for the door. "I'll make your mom some soup. And I'll get some kind of fever reducer. I'll be back soon." He paused before turning the doorknob. "If she gets worse, don't wait for me. Call 911."
"Okay."
"And go keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't stop breathing or whatever happens to people with high fevers."
"I'll watch her, Luke. We'll be fine."
He nodded, then walked out the door. The entire drive to Doose's, he replayed the conversation over and over. It made his heart ache. He'd always been attracted to her, but he'd never really admitted to anyone, not even himself, how deeply he cared about his friend. Telling her that he loved her had slipped out so easily, and it left him feeling shaken.
'Cause when the world seems wrong,
Then I know that I belong
Right in my honey's lovin' arms.
The ambulance was already there by the time he came back, and he vaulted himself out of the truck cab before he even knew he was moving. "Rory!" he yelled, looking around at the few people gathered on the front lawn. He spotted her standing at the bottom of the porch steps, hugging herself tightly. "Rory," he said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Where is she?"
Rory pointed to the ambulance, where the paramedics were hoisting the gurney into the waiting vehicle. Lorelai was laying on it, her face pale and an IV connected to her arm. "She just started shaking uncontrollably, and I didn't know what to do," she confessed.
"You did the right thing," he said reassuringly. "You go with her and call me if anything changes. I'm going to put this stuff away and follow you in my truck." Rory nodded, looking so much like the little girl he remembered from years before. She walked over to the paramedic and spoke to him, then climbed in the back of the ambulance alongside her mother. Luke watched them pull out of the driveway. The lights weren't flashing, which was a relief. If it wasn't that urgent, then she was probably going to be just fine. He hurried to put away the groceries he'd purchased, then began driving toward the hospital.
He was jogging down the hallway toward the receptionist desk when he heard his name being called. He turned his head down another hallway to see Rory waving her arms. He began heading in her direction, and as he got closer, she threw her arms around him. It was an unexpected but not unwelcome gesture, and he returned the hug with no reservations.
"She's just fine!" she said, squeezing him tightly. "The nurses think it was just a really bad flu or virus, so they're giving her fluids and getting the fever down."
"I'm glad," he replied, relief flooding him. "Is she awake yet?"
Rory stepped out of the hug and looked up at him, her countenance remarkably calmer than the last time he had seen her. "She was awake, but she's resting now. I just stepped out to get a snack from the vending machine. Did you want to see her?"
Luke placed his hands on his hips and looked down the hall, trying to think it over. He did want to see her. But he felt awkward about what she had said earlier. He glanced at Rory, who was giving him a puzzled look, when understanding swept over her features.
"Do you want to wait in the waiting room?" she asked. "I can get you when she wakes up again?"
"Yeah, let's do that," he answered, and let himself fall into a nearby chair. Rory nodded, then disappeared through a doorway.
One caress,
Happiness
Seems to bless my little honey.
"Luke?" Lorelai called, her eyes shut tightly, and her head rolling to the side. Rory was sitting by her hospital bed, holding her hand, as her mother awoke. Lorelai blinked her eyes open. "Rory?"
"It's me, Mom. Did you want Luke?"
"Huh?" she asked, furrowing her brow slightly.
"You just asked for Luke, when you were waking up."
"I did?" Lorelai struggled to sit up, but couldn't.
"Just relax, Mom, let me get the nurse."
She laid back down on the bed, waiting for the nurse to come in. Rory returned moments later with a middle-aged woman, dressed in scrubs with Hello Kitty printed all over them. Lorelai liked her immediately.
"Ms. Gilmore, it's about time you woke up!" she said warmly, quickly checking over the chart on the wall. "Alright, honey, do you know why you're here?" Lorelai shook her head. "You came in a few hours ago with a pretty high fever. I think we got 104?" She asked, looking at Rory, who confirmed it with a nod. "We brought your fever down and gave you some anti-viral. I think another bag of fluids and we'll let you go home. Sound good?"
"Sounds great, thanks," Lorelai said, smiling slightly.
"Don't thank me, thank your daughter for getting you here."
"It was Luke's idea," Rory said humbly.
"I'll make sure to thank him, then," Lorelai said, closing her eyes as the nurse adjusted the IV bag of fluids by the bed.
"He's in the waiting area," Rory said. "Want to thank him now?"
"Oh!" Lorelai gasped, attempting to pull herself up again.
"Relax," the nurse said, and then adjusted the bed so Lorelai was reclined upright.
When Rory returned with Luke, he stopped just inside the door to the room, hesitating. Lorelai waved him inside. "Come on in, don't be shy!" Rory gently pushed him toward the chair next to the bed, and he sat reluctantly.
He cleared his throat softly. "How are you feeling?" he asked, eyes darting up to hers briefly.
"Not great," she answered truthfully. "But much better than I was feeling earlier."
He nodded, staring at his hands. "When do you get released?"
She glanced over at the nurse, who was typing something into the terminal attached to the wall on the other side of the room. "In a few hours, I think," she replied.
"I'll drive you," he said, leaving no room for argument.
Lorelai smiled tiredly. "Okay," she said, leaning back against the bed.
When years have passed away,
You'll find my love belongs to you only
Several days later, Lorelai was looking inside the fridge, staring at the remains of the food that Luke had left for them. She was grateful, but it seemed odd to her that the few times that she had seen Luke since he'd driven her home from the hospital, he hadn't wanted to talk to her beyond asking if she was okay and taking her food order.
"Hey, Rory?" she asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
Rory looked up from her school work spread out on the kitchen table. "Yeah?"
"Did something happen with Luke?"
"Uh," Rory said, her gaze falling back to her books. "Why do you ask?"
"He seems, I don't know, preoccupied. Or shy. Or distant. Not like himself. He's barely looked me in the eye." Rory continued to look down, seemingly unwilling to answer the question.
"Rory?" Lorelai closed the fridge door and stared at her daughter, hands on hips.
She sighed deeply, then looked up at her mom. "You said something while you had that fever, and I think it affected him."
"Oh crap," Lorelai groaned. "What did I say? Something horrible?"
Rory took a deep breath. "Uh, you asked him where the twins were?"
"The twins?" Lorelai furrowed her brow. "What twins?"
"Yeah, you were very concerned about knowing where your babies were."
Suddenly she realized. "The twins. Oh my god. The dream!"
"Yeah."
"And I told him about that once." Lorelai started pacing around the small kitchen.
"Yeah."
"Oh god. Luke must think I'm nuts."
Rory paused before responding. "I think he was affected by it in a different way."
Lorelai stopped pacing. "What do you mean?"
"Well, when he came down the stairs, he looked… sad."
"Sad?" Lorelai asked, puzzled.
"Yeah." Mother and daughter looked at each other for a moment, then Lorelai dropped her head to her chest in defeat.
"Ugh," she grumbled. "I need to go talk to him, and fix this." She walked toward the foyer and grabbed a jacket. "I'll be back later!" she called behind her as she shut the door and began walking toward the diner.
When years have passed away,
You'll find my love belongs to you only
"We're closed," he said when he heard the bell jangle, not looking up from cleaning the coffee pot to see who had come in.
"I know. I came to see you." Luke's head snapped up to see Lorelai standing just inside the doorway, looking shy and reserved, a look that was not typical for her.
"What's wrong?" he asked, panic bubbling up inside of him. "Are you feeling okay? Is it Rory?"
"No, we're fine, just fine. Um, Rory told me that I said some things to you when I was delirious with fever, and I just wanted to know exactly what I said so we can put it behind us and get back to normal." She took a few tentative steps inside the diner.
Luke's lips pressed into a thin line. "Everything's fine, you don't need to explain."
"I think I do. You're avoiding me. And, well, I miss you," she said with a shrug. He puffed some air, then walked around the counter, gesturing for her to sit at a table. She sat carefully, folding her hands in her lap, and looked up at him, waiting for him to talk.
"Rory called me, she said you were sick and she couldn't move you off the floor. I carried you up to your room, put you in your bed, and you starting panicking, um, about… about your babies. You wanted to know where the babies were." He swallowed the lump in his throat, and sat across from her, laying his hands on the table between them. "Our babies."
Lorelai closed her eyes tightly, feeling deeply embarrassed, but she didn't interrupt. "Uh, I didn't want you to stroke out or anything, so I told you I put them to bed." She smiled a little at this, and it gave him the courage to continue. "And then, um, you told me I was a good daddy."
Lorelai opened her eyes, and gave him a small smile. "I bet you would be a good daddy," she said softly. She rested a hand on top of his, and he stared at it. "Is that all of it?"
"Not exactly." He worked his jaw a moment, hoping there was another way to phrase what she said next, but not finding any words but the three she'd given him.
"I need to know, Luke," she whispered.
"You told me you loved me," he whispered back. Her lips parted in surprise, but no sounds came out. He pulled his hand out from under hers. "It's fine, I know you don't."
"You're right," she said, looking away. They felt silent, and she heard the noises from the kitchen equipment buzzing in the background, amplifying the space between them. Then so quietly that he almost didn't hear her, she murmured, "But I could."
He looked at her, but she was still looking away. "What?"
Finally, her eyes lifted to his. "I could. Love you. Someday."
"Lorelai," he breathed.
"I'm going to go," she said, standing up swiftly. "I don't know how, but I hope we can get past this."
He grabbed her arm before she could turn, and he stood up to face her. "I don't want to get past it," he said gruffly. She looked up in alarm. He tugged her closer. "I'm going to kiss you now," he said, "as a test."
"A test?"
"Yeah. If it's terrible, we'll go back to being friends. And if it's not, then…" He leaned forward, and their lips touched. The electricity between them sparked, and soon they were pressed tightly against each other, drowning. Lips parted and tongues met, and they clung to each other.
They broke apart. "It's not too late to go back," he said, panting slightly.
"I don't want to go back," she said, looking up into his eyes.
Then I know that I belong
Right in my honey's lovin' arms.
"Shel, have you met Luke?" Lorelai grabbed the poultry supplier's hand and pulled him around to where Luke was crouched below the sink. "Hey, Luke!" she hissed, "Get up!" Luke got to his feet and eyed Lorelai warily. "Uh, Shel, this is Luke."
"Nice to meet you," Shel replied.
"Yeah, you too," Luke said with a smirk. Lorelai backed up into Luke, grabbing his hand tightly and wrapping it around her waist.
"Luke is my boyfriend," she said. The color drained out of Shel's face, and he backed away slightly.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I just don't know what I would have done without him. I mean, he takes care of me and encouraged me to work toward my dream, and I just can't imagine my life without him." She looked up at Luke then, smiling softly. Luke hugged her slightly, and bent forward to kiss her temple.
"Well, it was nice meeting you both. I'm just gonna go say goodbye to Sookie," Shel said, quickly leaving the kitchen. Lorelai giggled.
"You need to tell Sookie now, so this stops," he said gruffly, pulling away.
"Oh, I will. I just needed to tell Rory first. I did that this morning, and now everyone can know." She stepped back into Luke's arms, pulling his face to hers. Just before their lips touched, she heard a loud bang.
"Oh my god!" they heard Sookie shout. Lorelai couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh.