Author's Note: Luke and Lorelai reconciled in the series finale, but they needed to work through some of their past issues before jumping back into coupledom. This story picks up at their kiss in "Bon Voyage" and will focus on the first few weeks of them trying to rebuild their relationship.

. . . . .

The Past in the Present

They were wrapped in each other's arms kissing passionately, and in that moment, everything was right in the world. Lorelai briefly forgot that she had to say goodbye to Rory the next morning. Luke became oblivious to the party guests waiting for more burgers. And they both forgot about all the pain and hurt that they'd been through.

As they finally parted, Lorelai drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So, this is…we just…" Her voice trailed off and she stared deeply into his eyes as she whispered, "Wow."

"I know," he nodded as he pulled her into a hug. She closed her eyes and lay her head against his chest as her body molded to his.

Over the past few years, some of the moments when she'd felt the safest, the most comforted, had been when she was nestled in his strong arms. As his hands began softly caressing her back, Lorelai felt a tingle rush down her spine and she let out a content sigh.

Luke smoothed a hand over her hair before placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I hated being apart from you."

"Me, too," she replied. "I missed you so much." She lifted her head from his chest and met his gaze. His eyes were filled with a sincere passion that she hadn't seen in a long time. "I missed us."

"Me, too," Luke agreed as he brushed his thumb over her cheek. "You have no idea."

Lorelai glanced over at the party, then shook her head at him in disbelief. "I can't believe you did all this."

"Well, she needed a big sendoff," he said with a shrug. "But everyone pitched in."

Lorelai smiled. "It's incredible. She's over the moon right now."

Luke smiled. "Good." He reached for her hand. "Come here." He led her toward the entrance of the diner and they went inside.

Luke left her standing by the door as he went to retrieve the pink necklace box he'd tucked away in the drawer under the counter.

He walked back to her and handed her the box. "Here… this is for you."

Lorelai cocked her head to the side with a surprised smile. "Luke." She opened the box, gasping softly as she pulled out the necklace. "Oh, wow, it's beautiful." She gently fingered the delicate blue charm, and then smiled at him appreciatively. "Thank you, I love it."

Luke smiled. "Good." That feeling washed over him…that heady rush of satisfaction he felt anytime he brought her any amount of happiness. He was addicted to that rush like she was to coffee.

Lorelai placed the necklace back in the box and handed it to him. "Here, hold this a sec." She removed the necklace she was wearing, slipped it into the pocket of her jeans, and then took the new one from the box and unclasped it. She secured it around her neck, patted it against her chest, and then smiled at him. "There. How's it look?"

"Perfect," he confirmed with a nod. He put the empty box on the table next to him and stepped closer to her.

"Thank you." Lorelai took his hand in hers and stared down at it as she aimlessly drew circles on his palm with her thumb. She had an overwhelming amount of thoughts and emotions going through her head, but she knew they had to be smart about this. They couldn't just pick up with their relationship right where they had left off. Things had ended badly and they couldn't ignore the reasons why.

She exhaled slowly as she brought her gaze up to meet his. "Luke, I know we apologized to each other already… about that stuff that happened. But I think we need to talk things out more… you know, before we can really think about getting back together."

"Yeah, I know, we do," Luke agreed.

"I mean, if getting back together is what you want," Lorelai quickly added. "I don't even know if we're both on the same page. I think you are, but I don't wanna assume that you are if -"

"I am, Lorelai," Luke interrupted her, squeezing her hand. "Us, together…that's what I want."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay, good…that's the page I'm on. Not just that page, actually… that exact sentence."

"Glad to hear it," Luke replied, smiling as he brought his hands up to caress her arms.

She loved that smile…she had seen very little of it over the past year, and had missed it tremendously. She raised her gaze up from his smile to his blue eyes. Often a man of very few words, his eyes could speak volumes. Right now they were staring back at her filled with such warmth and emotion that her heart was beginning to race.

Lorelai blinked a few times to break free of his mesmerizing gaze and she cleared her throat. "So, um, then, we should talk." She glanced out the window at the party, then back at Luke. "Not now, obviously, but maybe tomorrow…after I drop Rory off at the airport?"

Luke nodded. "Okay."

Lorelai put her hand over the necklace and said sincerely, "I love this, thank you."

"You're welcome." Luke kissed her softly, then gestured toward the door. "I guess we should probably get back out there."

Lorelai nodded in agreement, and they exited the diner. Luke grabbed the bag of charcoal and headed over to the grill as Lorelai went to find Rory in the crowd.

A few people had seen their kiss and the news had spread around the party like wildfire. Lorelai was hounded for details about what it meant and whether they were back together, but did her best to keep things vague and private. Luke wasn't hounded nearly as much, as a quick irritated glare in their direction would usually make the inquirers run off in search of other gossip sources.

Luke and Lorelai chatted casually throughout the night, and when they weren't together, shared occasional glances and smiles across the crowd.

When the party was winding down and people began cleaning up, Lorelai walked over to Luke. "Can we help clean up?" she asked from behind him.

Luke had been scrubbing down the grill and he turned around to face her, grabbing the dishtowel draped over his shoulder to wipe his hands. He immediately saw a sadness in her eyes that he hadn't noticed earlier. As Rory's remaining time in Stars Hollow was ticking down, so too was the ability for Lorelai to hide her emotions. It pained him, knowing what she must be feeling inside.

Luke shook his head and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "Get her home," he insisted. "Finish packing, spend some time with her."

Lorelai nodded appreciatively. "Okay." She glanced toward the diner, then back at him. "Can I ask for a favor?"

"Anything," he responded.

"Any chance you'd be able to make mother and daughter a little goodbye breakfast tomorrow?" Lorelai asked hopefully. "Like around five-ish?"

Luke smiled. "You got it."

"Thank you." Lorelai hugged him and kissed his cheek, then added, "For everything. The party, the necklace… everything."

Luke nodded. "You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow."

. . . . .

. . . . .

The next morning, Lorelai and Rory had an early breakfast at the diner, and when they were ready to head to the airport, Luke walked them outside to the Jeep.

Rory opened the passenger door, then turned back to Luke. "Thanks for breakfast, Luke."

"Any time," he replied.

"And again, thanks for all you did for the party," Rory said sincerely. "It was incredible."

Luke smiled. "I'm glad you liked it." He paused, suddenly realizing he was feeling as emotional with Rory's sendoff as he'd felt saying goodbye to his own daughter. He cleared his throat and shook his head in disbelief. "This is… wow. You know, you…heading off into the world…" Luke sighed. "You're all grown up."

"Happened pretty fast, huh?"

"Extremely," Luke replied with a nod. "Good luck with the new job. You take care of yourself out there on the road."

Rory nodded. "I will. And you take care of things here." She swallowed hard before quietly adding, "And, you know…the people, too. Take care of them, okay?" Her bottom lip quivered as she added, "They really need you."

Luke nodded understandingly, shooting a quick glance over at Lorelai who was standing on the driver's side of the Jeep. "I will, don't worry." He hugged Rory. "I'm proud of you. This whole town is proud of you, don't forget that."

"I won't, thank you." Rory smiled appreciatively and kissed him on the cheek. "Bye, Luke." She climbed into the Jeep and pulled the door shut.

Luke walked over to Lorelai, who was leaning against the driver's side door of the Jeep. "You okay?" he asked, but the answer was obvious. She looked like she was about to cry.

Lorelai nodded, then shook her head with a shrug. "I don't know." She covered her face with her hands and muttered to herself, "Hold it together, Lorelai."

Luke pulled her into a hug. "I know it's hard. It'll be okay. You'll both be okay."

Lorelai stayed in his embrace for a few seconds before pulling back with a disheartened sigh. "We should get on the road. I'll come back after the airport…it'll probably be a couple hours."

Luke nodded. "Okay." He watched her climb into the Jeep and shut the door, then he walked over to the sidewalk and waited for them to pull away. As they did, he raised his hand to give a final wave goodbye, then headed back into the empty diner.

. . . . .

. . . . .

Luke was anxious all morning as he waited for Lorelai to return to the diner. Every time the bell on the door jingled, he jerked his head toward it to see if it was her. He briefly contemplated removing the stupid bell to try to reduce the whiplash he was getting.

When Lorelai finally arrived, Luke immediately noticed her red eyes and tearstained cheeks. He moved quickly around the counter to greet her. "Hey."

Lorelai didn't respond, just wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face to his flannel. Her body shook in his arms as she cried against him.

Luke rubbed her back gently, knowing full well there wasn't much he could say or do to fix the situation… he just needed to help her get through it. "It's okay," he comforted her. "She'll be okay."

"That was so hard," Lorelai muttered against his shirt.

"I know. Come upstairs for a few minutes." Luke put an arm around her shoulder and led her past the curious onlookers in the diner toward the back staircase. "Caesar, I'll be right back," he called toward the kitchen.

Luke led her up to his apartment and sat down with her on the couch. He grabbed the tissue box from the end table and set it on the coffee table in front of her. As she stared down at the floor crying, Luke silently rubbed her back until she was ready to talk.

Finally, she shook her head sadly and met his gaze. "I couldn't hold it together. I thought I would be okay. I wanted to be strong until she was out of my sight, and then I could break down." She sniffled and paused to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. "I didn't want her to see me like that. I didn't want that to be something she was thinking about on the plane, worrying about me being okay. I just wanted her to be able to focus on the job and not on me." Lorelai groaned and clenched her fists in frustration. "Just five more minutes and I would've been in the clear. I screwed up."

"You did not screw anything up," Luke said firmly. "Whether she saw you upset or not, she was gonna worry. She knows this is hard for you. It's hard for her, too. This is a big change for both of you."

"I can't believe she's gone," Lorelai muttered sadly. "I miss her already."

"She misses you, too," Luke said. "But she's not gone…she's just away. It's an adjustment. You'll both be okay, but it doesn't happen instantly. Some things need time to be okay."

Lorelai nodded in agreement, mentally applying that statement to their own relationship. She grabbed a couple of tissues, wiped her eyes and nose, then tossed them in the trashcan next to the coffee table. "I thought about us last night," she said. "Me and you, I mean." She shook her head slightly. "Still kind of taking that all in, you know... that there's a me and you again."

"Me, too," he replied. "You, uh...still in?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, I'm in. But like I said, there's stuff we need to talk about and work through before we can try to be an us again," she said softly.

"I know," he replied as he took her hand and squeezed it. "I was thinking about it... and I had an idea."

Surprised, Lorelai's eyes widened slightly. "Oh... an idea. Okay. Ideas are...nice. What's the idea?" She didn't know why she suddenly felt nervous.

Luke had thought about their situation a lot in the past twelve hours, and as happy as he was to finally reconcile, he had one major concern… the timing of it. Trying to piece back together their relationship during a time when Lorelai was so sensitive and vulnerable made him nervous. He knew they needed to ease back into things.

Luke took a deep breath. "I think we need some sort of a… I don't even know what to call it… like, a transition period or something."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes with curiosity. "Go on," she prompted him to explain.

"We both know we can't move forward with us as a couple until we talk... I mean, really talk."

"Right," she agreed. "Really, really talk."

"Yeah, but I don't wanna do that while you're still dealing with the brunt of all this emotional Rory stuff," Luke continued. "I mean, to expect you to drop her off at the airport and then come here and jump right into talking about us?" Luke shook his head. "No way, that's too much."

"So, what are you saying?" Lorelai was still confused by what he was suggesting. "You wanna wait to talk? You wanna wait for… us?"

Luke nodded. "We should wait. I think you need to get through this stuff with Rory first. Take a few days, a week, whatever… let the shock of that wear off. Adjust to her being away."

Lorelai eyed him for a few seconds, still not clear about the logistics of this 'transition period.' "Adjust… alone?" she asked hesitantly. "Like, we're gonna stay away from each other?"

"No, of course not," he scoffed. "You really think I'd just ignore you while you're dealing with that?" He shook his head in disbelief, as if he was offended that she'd even think that.

Lorelai smiled at his reaction, pleased to see that staying away from her was not an option. She held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, sorry, I wasn't sure what you meant."

"I'll be right here," he said firmly. "But I think we need to take it slow, hold off on talking about us, just keep things casual. And then when you're ready… we'll talk things out and start working on us."

Lorelai nodded understandingly as she gained a clearer picture of his suggestion, and she was starting to feel relieved by it. "Gotcha. So I'm Elaine and you're Jerry, and we're gonna be hanging out as friends at the coffee shop for a few days until we get through one semi-dramatic obstacle and then we can tackle the next one."

Luke was happy that he recognized that television reference, as it wasn't always the case. "Yes, exactly. What do you think?"

Lorelai nodded in agreement. "I like it, if you're sure you're okay with it."

"A hundred percent," Luke replied without hesitation. "It's too much to deal with all at once, Lorelai. One thing at a time. When you're ready to talk… you let me know. Your call."

"Okay, thank you." Lorelai leaned over to hug him. She felt like a weight had been lifted. With everything on her mind, she liked knowing that she had a little leeway before jumping into any heavy emotional discussions with Luke.

As Luke pulled back from her, he lightly bumped her knee with his fist. "So, what are you doing the rest of the day?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I didn't have anything planned. I took the day off but I might head over to the inn anyway… may be a good distraction."

Luke glanced at his watch, then thought for a moment. "Look, it's almost lunch time… let me help Caesar get ready for the lunch rush, and then we'll go out and do something."

"You're gonna be my own personal distraction today?"

"Yup," he confirmed. "If you want."

Lorelai smiled. "I want."

. . . . .

. . . . .

Two hours later, Luke and Lorelai were walking through the mall, which surprisingly was his suggestion as their first stop, despite his antipathy toward shopping. Luke was carrying her shopping bags while she snacked on a soft pretzel.

"Ooh, ooh, there's another one," Lorelai whispered excitedly. "Eleven o'clock on the bench. Turn slowly… girlfriend or daughter?"

Luke subtly glanced toward his left until he spotted the couple that Lorelai was referring to… an older gentleman sitting with a much younger woman.

Luke turned back to Lorelai. "Girlfriend. You don't wear a skirt that short to go out with your dad." He paused a second, furrowed his brow and asked, "Do girls wear skirts that short to go out with their dads?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Not me personally, but only because Richard Gilmore is more of a chest man."

Luke grimaced. "Ugh. Not a sentence I ever needed to hear."

Lorelai giggled as she broke off a piece of pretzel and offered it to Luke; he accepted and popped it into his mouth. She finished up the last bite, threw the wrapper in a nearby garbage can, then brushed the crumbs from her hands.

"So, where to next?" Luke asked. Lorelai smiled and nodded toward the store behind him. Luke turned around and groaned when he saw the sign. "Oh, boy."

"You are about to witness retail therapy at its finest," Lorelai declared as she grabbed him by the arm and led him into Sephora.

He'd been in that store with her before, and had silently vowed to avoid that again at all costs. But today was her day, and he'd stay in there for as long as she needed. Hell, he'd probably let her test the makeup on him if she really wanted to. Anything to keep her happily distracted.

. . . . .

. . . . .

Forty-five minutes later, they walked out of Sephora and started heading in the direction of the food court for a late lunch.

"I think I did pretty well restraining myself," Lorelai commented.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, two hundred bucks, that's what you call - " He suddenly stopped himself from the snarky comment he was about to make. He'd been trying to keep the teasing to a minimum today.

"That's what I call…" Lorelai prompted him.

"Nothin'," Luke quickly replied, waving her off. "You did good."

Lorelai had noticed he was taking it easy on her today, staying quiet during some prime mocking opportunities. It was an unnecessary gesture that she found adorably charming. She smiled and nudged his side with her elbow. "Luke…"

"Yeah?" Luke responded nonchalantly.

"Don't hold back your grumpiness on my account," Lorelai requested. "You gotta be yourself… I want Teasing-Luke, not Best-Behavior-Luke."

Luke shrugged. "I'm just trying to… you know…because today's…and you're…"

Lorelai smiled as she rubbed his arm. "I know what you're doing, and thank you. It's sweet."

"You're welcome."

"But I want you to mock me," Lorelai urged, then added in a singsong voice, "You know you want to…all the cool kids are doin' it. Please?"

Luke smirked and gave in to her request. "You call that restraining yourself? You realize you spent more on face products today than I've probably spent on face products in the past 15 years?"

"That's because one can of shaving cream lasts you a whole year," Lorelai pointed out as she ran a hand over the scruff on his cheek.

"And why do you need all that stuff anyway?" Luke continued. "Your face is fine… it's a waste of money to buy all that crap."

"My face is fine because I buy all that crap to keep it looking young and refreshed."

Luke shook his head. "But why spend fifty bucks on a two-ounce jar of cream that keeps wrinkles away?"

"Um, to keep the wrinkles away?" Lorelai suggested pointedly. "You answered your own question."

"I mean, I'm sure you can find another wrinkle product at a much better price that does just as good a job as the expensive brand," he ranted. "It's probably all the same ingredients as the cheap stuff, you're just paying for the name. It's a rip off!"

"But what if it's not all the same ingredients? Are you willing to take the risk of exposing a potentially ineffective low-quality product to my pretty, pretty face?" Lorelai batted her eyelashes at him as she framed her face with her hands. "Hm?"

It was at that moment that the face cream battle ended, because the only thing going through Luke's mind was how much he'd missed this. Missed seeing her. Missed spending time with her. Missed their playful banter, which thankfully had come back to them so easily.

As Lorelai stared at him, hands still posed around her face, the corners of Luke's lips slowly turned up into a smile. He shook his head slightly. "Forget it."

"Ha!" Lorelai pointed her finger at him as she smirked proudly. "Gilmore wears down Danes yet again."

"Yeah, yeah." Luke waved her off with a snicker. They had arrived at the food court, and Luke gestured to the line of food counters behind the sea of tables. "What do you feel like?"

"Tacos," Lorelai responded, rubbing her hands together excitedly. "Ooh, and pizza. And a milkshake."

"Ugh, how do you not get sick every day of your life?" he muttered as he started surveying the food options. He pointed to the far end of the food court. "Okay, you get the tacos down there, then swing two stops over for the milkshake. I'll get the pizza. Plain?"

"Pepperoni," Lorelai replied. "Meet you at the tables."

They went in separate directions to get the food, and fifteen minutes later they were seated at a table with their trays. He glanced down at the unexpected cup of French fries in front of her. "Impulse buy?"

Lorelai smiled as she picked up a fry and bit it. "Couldn't resist."

Luke had gotten himself a salad and a slice of vegetable pizza. As he stabbed at his lettuce with a plastic fork, he asked, "So, how you holding up? You good?"

"Mmhmm," Lorelai replied. "Better than expected, thanks to Captain Distraction." She reached over and picked out a crouton from his salad.

Luke tilted his head to the side with an amused look. "Really? You don't have enough of your own?" he asked, gesturing to the spread of food in front of her.

Lorelai just smiled as she popped the crouton in her mouth and started crunching. She took a sip of her milkshake, then said, "Thank you for doing this. For dropping everything to spend the day making sure I don't try to jump on a plane to Iowa."

Luke shrugged nonchalantly. "No big deal."

"It is a big deal, Luke," Lorelai insisted as she reached across the table to rub his forearm. "And it means a lot... really. So thank you."

Luke put his hand on top of hers. "You're welcome."

"I know I said this already," Lorelai said softly. "But I really missed you."

"I missed you, too." Luke locked his gaze with hers as he squeezed her hand. "I thought about you every day, Lorelai."

Lorelai felt her heart begin to race, not just from the sincerity of his words, but by the affectionate way he was staring at her with those expressive eyes. The casual food court lunch was turning into a more tender moment than she was expecting.

Lorelai glanced down at her food for a second, then brought her gaze back to him. "Every day?"

"Every day," he repeated. "Sometimes I tried not to, but that didn't really work because then I was thinking about how I was trying not to think about you." He shook his head slightly. "It's not easy trying not to think about someone so important to you."

"Yeah, tell me about it," she muttered softly. "It's pretty impossible."

From her response, Luke got the impression that he'd been on her mind just as much as she'd been on his. He ate a forkful of his salad, then said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Mmhmm."

He leaned back in his chair. "The other night, at the bar…" he started.

Lorelai felt her face turn red. "Oh, God." She covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. You probably thought that was crazy."

"No, I didn't," Luke quickly replied. "But everybody was yammering on about how it was maybe a serenade and debating whether it meant something, and at one point I kinda thought maybe it did, but then… then I thought maybe it didn't."

Luke paused, thinking back to that moment in the diner when he had overheard Lorelai tell Patty that the song didn't mean anything. He remembered how disappointed he was to have that small amount of hope for a reconciliation be ripped out from under him.

Lorelai eyed him curiously as he stared off into space, and then finally snapped her fingers in front of him. "Earth to Luke."

Luke broke out of his daze. "Oh, sorry." He thought for a second, trying to remember where he left off. "I don't know, I was just… wondering if it meant anything."

Lorelai took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. "Well, it honestly didn't start out as a serenade, I was just singing to Rory. But then when I saw you in the crowd…" Lorelai smiled and shook her head slightly. "I don't know, all these feelings just hit me, and the words kinda took on a whole new meaning. I couldn't stop staring at you…if you didn't notice."

Luke smirked. "I noticed."

Lorelai glanced shyly down at her tray of food. She took another deep breath as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. "But to answer your question…yes. It did mean something. It was a serenade."

Luke's eyes widened slightly as he smiled. "Wow…okay. Uh, so, I guess…thank you? I don't know what the correct response is to a public serenade."

"Cash," Lorelai replied. "Lots of cash."

Luke let out a laugh. "We'll hit the ATM on the way out."

Lorelai used her straw to stir her milkshake as she said, "You know, we're not doing too well with the whole 'not talking about us' thing."

Luke nodded in agreement. "Yeah, my fault, sorry. New topic."

Lorelai suddenly heard her cell phone ringing and she quickly fumbled for it in her purse. She pulled out the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hi Mom," Rory greeted her.

Lorelai gasped with excitement. "Hi sweets!" She shared a smile across the table with Luke. "Did you arrive safe and sound?"

"Yeah, I just got to Sioux City," Rory replied. "How are you? Are you okay?"

Lorelai could hear the concern in Rory's voice. "Yes, don't worry, I'm good," Lorelai assured her. "How was the flight?"

"It was good. I read my book, listened to my headphones, and tried to avoid letting the head of the sleeping lady next to me hit my shoulder."

"Well, you've always been good at multitasking," Lorelai replied. "No turbulence or anything?"

"Nope, it was fine," Rory replied. "What are you up to? Did you go to the inn?"

"No, actually, Luke and I are at the mall," Lorelai replied, glancing over at Luke who was eating his salad. "He's keeping me busy and distracted."

"Aw, good," Rory replied. "Can he hear you right now?"

"Yeah," Lorelai replied. "Why?"

"Well, I wanted you to fill me in on that situation, but you can do that when I call tonight," Rory replied. She paused and added, "Unless, of course, he'll be with you tonight, too."

"No, it's... we're not... no..." Lorelai stammered. "Um, I'll fill you in later."

"Okay. I gotta get to the taxi stand and head to the hotel. I'll call you tonight and let you know how things go, okay?"

"Okay, good luck," Lorelai replied. "I love you, kid."

"Love you, too, Mom," Rory replied. "Say hi to Luke for me."

"Will do," Lorelai replied. "Bye."

"Bye."

Lorelai ended the call, then frowned at the phone's display. "Battery's almost dead." As she dropped the phone back into her purse, she said to Luke, "Rory says hi."

"How is she?" he asked.

"She sounds good," Lorelai replied with a relieved smile. "She's in Iowa, just landed, flight was good, and she's about to head to the hotel."

"And how are you?" Luke asked. "Does hearing from her make you feel better? Or does it make it harder?"

Lorelai shrugged. "A little of both, I guess. I mean, I like hearing her tell me that she's doing okay, but when I hear her voice, it's... " Her voice trailed off and she gestured toward him. "Well, you know how it feels…you probably go through it with April."

"Yup," he replied. "It sucks, but you get through it. We'll get through it."

Lorelai nodded as she picked up a French fry and took a bite. "So, you got any other plans for us today?"

"Yeah, I've got some thoughts," Luke replied. "How adventurous are you feeling?"

Lorelai raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Hmm, like 'bungee jumping' adventurous, or 'entering a deep fried Twinkie eating contest' adventurous?"

"Uh, more like, 'doing a lot of walking' adventurous," Luke replied. "I don't know how tired you are from having to get up so early."

"I'm good," Lorelai assured him. "What do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we could take a drive over to Gillette Castle State Park," Luke suggested. "You know, walk the grounds, tour the estate, check out the views of the river...if you're up for it."

Lorelai gasped excitedly. "I'm so up for it!"

Luke smiled. "Okay, good. You been there before?"

"Mia and I took Rory there once when she was in elementary school," Lorelai replied. "We loved it. I remember it was so beautiful, the scenery around the castle. Like right out of a fairy tale."

Luke was glad she seemed excited about it. "Are there any more stores you wanna hit here?"

Lorelai shook her head. "No, I think I've done enough damage to my credit card for one day."

"Okay. So, we can head over there when we're done eating."

Lorelai smiled. "Perfect."
. . . . .

. . . . .

That evening, after they had visited the castle grounds and stopped back at the diner for dinner, Luke drove Lorelai back to her house and walked her inside.

Lorelai greeted Paul Anka, who was cuddled up on the armchair. "Were you good for Auntie Babette today?" she muttered as she rubbed the dog's head. Lorelai glanced at the coffee table, cluttered with a couple of items that hadn't made it into Rory's suitcase that morning.

Luke lined up her shopping bags at the bottom of the staircase. "All right, I gotta get back to the diner," he said. "I'm gonna send Caesar home early since he pulled double-duty for me today..." Luke paused when he noticed Lorelai staring at the coffee table. "What's that?"

Lorelai blinked herself out of her daze and walked over to him. She sighed softly before replying, "It's, um... just a couple things Rory decided not to take with her at the last minute." She folded her arms across her chest and glanced back at the coffee table. "I told her I'd put them away for her."

Her quieter, more subdued disposition was instantly noticeable to Luke. Understandably, no amount of distractions outside of the house could prevent the emotions from hitting her once she got back home.

Luke gently pushed a strand of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice softened with concern.

Lorelai nodded. "I'm fine."

Luke shook his head, thoroughly unconvinced. "Try again, Lorelai."

Lorelai sighed as she shrugged weakly. "What do you want me to say? That I'm sad? Okay, yes, of course I'm sad," she said softly. "But I'm allowed to be a little sad. It's the first night here without her... I didn't expect it to be easy."

"You want me to stay longer?" he asked her.

Lorelai shook her head. "No, it's okay, I'll be fine, I promise," she assured him. "I just need to adjust. Rory's gonna call later, so I'm looking forward to hearing how her day went." She took his hand and led him to the front door. "Thank you for wasting your entire day on me."

"It was far from a waste," he corrected her. "And you're welcome." He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Call me if you need me, okay? I mean it."

"I will," she replied as she pulled back from the hug. She rested her hands on his shoulders and stared into his eyes. "So, what does the 'keeping it casual and friendly' handbook say about kissing…yay or nay?"

Luke smirked and rested his hands on her waist. "I haven't gotten to that chapter yet."

"There were a few times today I really wanted to," Lorelai admitted. "But I wasn't sure if it was allowed, so I restrained myself."

"Me, too," he replied.

Lorelai lightly traced his soft lips with her fingertip. "I think an occasional kiss between friends is okay. I mean, we can still take it slow without taking it Amish…right?"

"Right."

"Well, as long as we both agree..." Lorelai leaned forward and pressed her lips to his for a soft kiss, then pulled back with a content smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Luke pulled the front door open and headed out of the house. Lorelai stood in the doorframe and watched him until his truck was out of sight.

Lorelai shut the front door, locked it, and then headed toward the kitchen, stopping at the doorway to Rory's bedroom. She stared sadly into the darkened room, just like she'd done the night before as she'd watched Rory sleep.

Her eyes wandered from the posters on the walls to the stacks of books on the desk to the cardboard boxes on the floor. The room was still filled with a lot of stuff, but right now… it seemed completely empty.

Lorelai stepped into the room and slowly walked over to the dresser near the closet, surveying some of the items her daughter had left behind. She tapped her finger against the side of the tall model rocket. Ran her hand across the soft Yale pennant hanging on the mirror. Squeezed the tiny white teddy bear sitting on the edge of the dresser.

There were a few old pictures of her and Rory propped up against the bottom of the mirror. A rush of emotions washed over her as she ran a finger across Rory's face in one of the pictures. Lorelai took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as tears began to well in her eyes.

Lorelai blinked, forcing the tears down her cheeks. "A little wallowing is okay," she muttered to her reflection in the mirror. "It's good for you. It's part of the adjustment process." She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, letting her tears fall freely as she stared down at the floor.

A few minutes later, she was startled when the ringing of the phone echoed through the quiet house. Lorelai gasped. "Rory!" She rushed out of the room and down the hall to the living room, grabbing the portable phone from the desk. "Hello?" she answered breathlessly.

"Look, I know you said you're okay," Luke's voice greeted her. "But I got back to the diner, and I was thinking about you being there all alone and upset, and I think maybe I shouldn't have left you… I should've stayed."

Lorelai smiled to herself, genuinely touched by how concerned he was. "Luke."

"I can come back," Luke insisted. "It's not a problem."

"Luke, it's okay, really," Lorelai replied. "Yes, I'm sad, and yes, I'm probably gonna go eat my feelings while I wait for Rory to call, but… it's part of the process. It's something I need to do, you know? Indulge the sadness. It's a girl thing."

Luke was quiet for a second, then sighed softly. "All right…if you're sure."

"I'm sure. But thank you for the offer," she said sincerely. "And for everything you did today to make it easier for me… thank you. Really."

"You're welcome," he replied. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, you will," she confirmed. "Goodnight."

"'Night."

. . . . .

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To be continued…

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