"You could always get her lingerie."

He jerks his head back and stares at Sookie. She laughs softly and shakes her head. "Luke, this is Lorelai. You know, the person you've known and pretty much loved for at least the last decade?"

"I have not."

"You have so." Sookie laughs again. "What about that?"

He glances where she points and proceeds to glare at her as he marches past her out of the store. She's giggling as she follows him. "You're not funny."

"I'm sorry, Luke. But it was worth it to see the look on your face."

"Oh, goody." Luke's voice was sharp. "There are Jackson and Lorelai." He strode purposefully toward the center of the mall and stopped beside Lorelai and the hulking tower of packages that was Jackson. "Any of those yours?"

"Only this one. And this one. And, well, you might just want to take the whole stack from him." She blushed slightly. "Although, in my defense, he hasn't visited the toy store yet."

Luke's voice is thick with disbelief. "These are all yours? Who did you buy for? Everyone in Stars Hollow?"

Lorelai holds up the bags that she has in her hands. "You."

"No. No." Luke shakes his head. "Lorelai."

"Kidding. At least…three of them are Jackson's."

"You're a menace."

"I'm your menace." She raises her eyebrows suggestively as Jackson hands him five of the packages. "Come on, let's leave these two lovebirds to shop for baby stuff and toys." She hugs Sookie, taking care not to damage either her bags or her best friend. "I'll see you at the Inn tomorrow."

"I'll be there with bells on," Sookie promises.

Lorelai smiles as she and Luke fall in step, heading for the exit. "The scariest part is that she's not kidding. It's like having a cat in the kitchen."

They walk outside to her Jeep, tucking packages in the back. He holds the passenger door open for her and watches her with hungry eyes as she climbs in. "What are we doing for Christmas this year?"

"Having it? Otherwise I have a lot of extraneous spending to explain."

He clears his throat and shifts nervously. "What are we doing for Christmas this year?"

"Oh." She smiles widely. "Oh!" Luke doesn't move as she turns in her seat, her feet on the lip of the doorway, her knees spread as she catches his coat and pulls him closer to her. "Well, you could come to Christmas at my parents' house, but I wouldn't subject anyone I hate to that, much less someone I like as much as I like you."

"Thank you."

"Christmas Eve? You could come over and spend it at our house?" She catches his hand and laces her fingers with his. "Of course, we have to stop by Luke's before it closes to actually get something to eat on Christmas Eve."

"I could make something at your house. I'll even bring boxes to box it up in so you can pretend it's carry-out."

"You do the nicest things for me." She gasps as a drop of liquid hit the tip of her nose. "It's snowing!" They both look up as the swirling white seems to come from nowhere, dancing in the glow of the lights.

"Sookie suggested I buy you a wedding ring." Her eyes widen and he wants to swallow his tongue. "I didn't."

"Oh."

"Not because -" He lifts his free hand and strokes the whispers of snow from her cheek. "I love you."

"I don't want a wedding ring, Luke. Not yet." The tears fall down her cheeks like snowflakes of her own making. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He kisses her, smiling as she releases his hand to reach up and stroke the light stubble on his cheeks. "But you are going to have to tell me what you want. Otherwise you're going to get diamond lingerie."

She laughs and her eyes sparkle brighter than anything in the store. "Are they strategically placed diamonds?"

"I would assume."

"In that case, I'm not telling you anything."