Title: Wedding Bell Blues
Author: coolhandluke
Pairing: Luke/Lorelai
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
A/N: The song that I used is 'Addicted' by Kelly Clarkson. I wrote this story before having seen any episodes after 'Come Home' (Episode 12). It was my take on the spoilers for the Wedding Bell Blues episode and what could have happened afterwards. This is going to be a four-parter. Let me know what you think and I will try to update as soon as possible.
Part 1
It's like you're a drug. It's like you're a demon I can't face down. It's like I'm stuck. It's like I'm running from you all the time.
"Lorelai wait!" Chris shouted stumbling slightly following as Lorelai ran after Luke.
He stopped short as he caught part of their conversation. Even in his drunken state knew that his part had been played. He had participated knowingly in Emily Gilmore's sick game of ruining Lorelai's relationship. A relationship that even Rory had found sacred enough to warn him not to tamper with.
He sunk down in the inside of the doorway, his head dropping into his hands. He had thought that he might still have a chance with her. But he realized that Emily only wanted him to think that he had a chance with her. Lorelai had always been like an enigma to him; a permanent stain on his heart that no amount of time or bleeding could erase. But he had his moment of truth here today, right in the middle of Emily and Richard Gilmore's vow renewal reception.
The revelation came shortly after having witnessed his daughter in a disheveled state with a boy that reminded him way too much of how he used to be when he was younger. The way that boy had looked at Rory, his little girl, was similar to how he used to look at Lorelai. Too bad he had to go and mess up too many times to count with both of his Gilmore girls.
But now he was bearing witness to Lorelai pouring her heart out to Luke Danes, the diner man. That was the final nail on the coffin for the idea that he and Lorelai could ever be together romantically again. Much as Lorelai felt after being present for the birth of GG. He wished he would have realized this earlier or maybe he did, but the idea had never fully settled in his brain.
Chris allowed his head to fall into his hands as he sat back and listened to the argument, that he had caused, play out between the two. Rory was definitely not going to be happy with him now, but all his jumbled thoughts flew out of his head after he heard Lorelai tell Luke that she loved him.
"Luke!" Lorelai shouted rushing as quickly as possible in a pair of stiletto heels. The clicking sound was echoing off the walls in the reception's front hall.
She continued calling after Luke completing ignoring the fact that Chris was following her. He had done enough damage tonight. She ran faster hoping to catch Luke before he got to far. She quickly stepped out the front door of the grand reception hall. She was immediately grateful that they had decided to get valet parking seeing as Luke was still waiting for the man to return with his 'rustic' truck.
"Luke." Lorelai pleaded softly as she put her hand on his shoulder and tried to turn him around to face her. Luke angrily shrugged her arm off of his shoulder and didn't turn around before demanding, "What do you want, Lorelai?"
Lorelai inwardly cringed at the way he said her name. She had never heard him say her name with quite so much disgust before. "Luke," Lorelai continued softly with tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, leaving their marks on their final destination when they reached her satin dress.
"Luke, I am so sorry. I didn't want you to find out that way. Nothing happened. I swear, his father had died, so I just brought over a bottle of tequila to try and cheer him up, to make him feel better."
Luke snorted, "I'm sure you did."
Lorelai felt like she had been slapped in the face by the force of the sting that comment left.
"Luke, you have to believe me." Luke turned towards Lorelai with anger and hurt shown in his eyes.
"Why should I believe you? You lied to me. More than once, you lied to my face. Rory lied to me."
Luke turned away, but Lorelai caught the newly inflicted pain that went through his mind as the realization, that Rory too had lied to him, sunk in.
"Luke, we just wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to be upset or…jealous." Luke again turned towards Lorelai and stepped back from her as she tried to reach out to him.
"Well, I guess that plan kind of backfired now didn't it." Lorelai's tears were falling more willingly now.
"Luke, nothing happened. I promise. I wouldn't do that to you. Besides I don't have feelings for Chris. Yes, we have a past, but that's all it is, the past. You are the one that I want to be with because I….I love you and only you."
The shock in Luke's eyes was apparent at Lorelai's declaration of love, but he was too hurt and his pride wouldn't let him back down from this fight. He had always given in too easily to Lorelai in the past, but he couldn't just let her lie to him and think that all would be forgiven. Relationships were built on trust. How could he trust her when there would always be this nagging doubt between them or the fear of Chris coming in between them even more than he already had tonight.
"Lorelai," Luke began just as the valet pulled up with his truck.
"I just don't know what to say. Maybe we are moving to fast. Maybe we should take a break to see if this is really what we want." The thought of Emily Gilmore's adamant desire for them to break up or Richard's plan to mold him into 'corporate Luke' were too much added on top of all their other issues.
Luke continued softly so that Lorelai had to step closer to hear what he was saying. "Or if I am really what you want and I want to be able to trust you, but I …"
Luke trailed off seeing the hurt in Lorelai's eyes as she covered her mouth to stop a sob from escaping. His heart was breaking and he longed to reach out to her. To feel her in his arms again. He thought it would be different this time. He thought she would be different with him, that this was it, but now he wasn't so sure. He just needed time to think, to soak in the events of tonight. The fact that both Lorelai and Rory had lied to him. The illusive Christopher had once again shown up to challenge his relationship with Lorelai and proclaim his undying love for her. And to top it all off, Emily Gilmore had gone to such great lengths to try and break them up. Rory half dressed and drunk with some random guy. At this last thought, Luke ran his hand over his tired face and opened the door signaling that he was done discussing this for now. He hated that he knew he was being a coward by running from her, but he felt like he had to just escape it all to think.
"Luke," Lorelai choked out "please don't go. A break? What are we, Ross and Rachel? Please just stay or take me home so that we can talk. I'm so sorry, please Luke."
Lorelai watched as Luke's face went through an array of emotions from heartbreak to confusion and then back to an eerily resolute sadness.
"Lorelai, I don't think that is such a good idea right now. I just need time to think….by myself."
Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest trying to block out the sudden chill that had come over her. "So, that's it then. This is the end for us?"
She asked looking off to the side not wanting to hear what he was going to say next for fear of the answer that he might give.
"Lorelai." Luke spoke softly while turning her face so that she was looking at him. He looked at her sadly before continuing.
"It's not the end. It's just goodbye, for now."
Luke's voice was barely a whisper as he finished his thought and pulled her into a hug. He whispered softly in her ear causing a tingling sensation to travel throughout her body, "I do love you, Lorelai."
With that he pulled away as if he had never even touched her. She would have thought it was her imagination had it not been for the way her skin was still tingling from his touch as if he had burned her. With that he got in his truck and drove away leaving a crying Lorelai who stood watching until his truck was completely lost in the darkness, leaving only a trail of smoke behind.
Ignoring the nagging feeling that the valets and mingling guests had just witnessed this very personal and intimate moment, possibly the last that she would ever share with Luke Danes, her Luke. She turned on her heals and walked with determination back through the front door to the reception hall that was still open. She reached the door and paused before entering as if entering the hall would be a choice that she was making, leaving her world, which entailed Stars Hollow and Luke, and entering into Emily Gilmore land.
She walked through as if to prove that she could do it and make it out alive on the other side. She slammed the door shut with just as much conviction. Her emotional breakdown would have to wait because she, Lorelai Gilmore, had more important things to handle right now. Just as the sound of the door slamming, Lorelai shut down the part of her that was trying to keep her from breathing, let alone thinking rationally as she continued forward with a purpose. Leaving behind only a breeze of air and the sound of her heels once again clicking on the tiled floor, yet this time to a new direction.
End of Part 1Next on Wedding Bell Blues…
"I am Lorelai Gilmore. I do not need to be crying over a guy."
"I can't live without him." Lorelai said softly to the emptiness of the night.