Disclaimer: Amy Sherman-Palladino created this world...just paying homage to her work in my own small way.

Pairing: L/L

A/N: Many thanks have to go to my beta, Chiaroscuro...otherwise this might have been a babbling mess. This was done for the TWoP Ficathon soundtrack challenge that I've helped manage...you can visit the site for more fantastic stories at geocities(dot)com(slash)ficathon2004. Feedback please...I'm still relatively new at writing GG fanfic...thanks!

"One Line"

Lorelai measured out some coffee into a filter, shoved it into the coffee maker and switched it on.

"Shit!" She switched it off, took out the pot and filled it with water and poured it into the machine.

She sat down at the kitchen table and began to bang her head on the table. What is wrong with me? she wondered. Why do I go cuckoo? Run scared? I can't do this to Luke...

It had been over half a year since they officially started dating. This was the first time she had gone more than one day without seeing him...and it was currently stretching to three days.

The phone rang, but she let the machine pick it up. "Lorelai is otherwise occupied," she heard Luke's voice ring out. "Go away." She heard her own giggle in the back ground as the recording ended. Beep.

"Mom? Hello?" There was a pause. "Call me. And stop being such a wuss. Talk to him."

Lorelai was about to begin banging her head on the table again, but instead she laid down her head. Ughhh...my own kid is taunting me with my cowardice.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the smell of coffee to penetrate her nostrils. No such smell materialized and she then realized that she hadn't switched the machine back on.

Is this my subconscious, telling me I can't drink my coffee...and telling me instead that I have to go to Luke's and drink his coffee and therefore face him, talk to him... But she didn't feel any motivation to heave herself up from the table.

She heard the phone ring again. "Lorelai is otherwise occupied..."

I can't take this anymore...Lorelai put her hands on the table and pushed herself upright.

As she passed the machine on the way to the stairs, she heard Sookie's voice. "Hello? Are you there? I know you called in sick today...again...but I just wanted to check in with you and see if I can bring you some soup or burritos or whatever you feel like eating. Call me, okay?"

Okay, I can't go on avoiding everybody. Rory's right...I need to talk to him. Let him know what's going on. Lorelai went upstairs to change.

Lorelai walked into the diner and saw Luke standing at one of the tables near the window, his back faced to her. Before she could say anything, he turned around and saw her as he carried a pot of coffee back to the counter.

"Coffee?" He pulled out a mug and placed it on the counter, pouring coffee into it.

Lorelai shook her head, and Luke looked at her in surprise. "Luke, can I talk to you...in private?" Lorelai's voice was hushed. While looking around, she saw that Kirk was sitting at a nearby table, stealing glances at her and Luke every now and again, while talking to Lulu.

"Three days..." Luke also spoke in an undertone. "I don't hear from you in three days...and now you want to talk?"

"I'm sorry...I can explain..." Just as Lorelai spoke, the diner phone rang.

"I need to get that." Luke walked over to the phone, coffee pot in hand, and answered it. "Hello? Oh, thanks for finally returning my call...what? No, that's unacceptable! I need that shipment today, not tomorrow. I want to talk to your manager...fine, I'll hold." He cradled the phone on his shoulder as he went to pour coffee for a customer sitting at a table near the door. "Excuse me," he said to a counter customer, as he adjusted the phone cord around him.

"What's with the antique? Luke?"

"I'm on the phone."

"You're on hold."

Luke maneuvered the phone cord around the same customer, apologizing as he came back behind the counter.

"Are you feeling nostalgic about the 20th century?"

"Huh?" Luke's face was the picture of irritation...and the lack of sleep.

"The whole squiggly phone cord action here. What gives?"

"Oh, my cordless crapped out. Didn't get a chance to buy a new battery." Luke turned around and put the coffee pot back on the burner, while picking up another one.

And there's the end of that small talk. Lorelai watched him at the counter, looking miserable. She was afraid that if she didn't take the initiative at that moment, she would lose her nerve. She stood up and walked over to Luke. "Luke, could you call them back? I really need to talk to you."

Luke raised his voice. "Oh, I'm sorry if I can't just drop everything and talk to you just now. I have a diner full of customers here..."

"Luke..."

Luke got louder. "Lorelai, I haven't been able to sleep the past three nights, because I was wondering if I did something wrong. So could you just explain to me why you've been avoiding me? What, are we back in junior high? Am I supposed to just get the hint that you're not interested anymore? "

"Luke, you don't understand..." Lorelai looked around apologetically. "Can we take this conversation somewhere else..."

"You're right, I don't understand," replied Luke in exasperation. He was still holding the phone to his ear as he stepped back behind the counter and saw that the whole diner had gone silent.

"Let's just go..." Lorelai got up from the counter and gestured to the back door.

"They're all going to find out anyway. Come on, let's not keep them in suspense any longer. Spit it out."

"Luke..." Lorelai looked at Luke's face; it looked like he was bracing himself for the worst possible news. She didn't know if she could do this to him, to them...

"I'm pregnant, Luke." Lorelai found she couldn't move her feet, because she felt mortified...Luke was saying nothing in reply. It was worse than she had feared.

The entire diner was stunned...and so was Luke. All eyes were on Lorelai, and then they shifted to Luke, who was still clutching the phone in one hand, coffee pot in the other. It seemed as if the whole world had stopped to hold its breath.

Lorelai sighed and turned to leave. Luke then put down the coffee pot, lassoed Lorelai by throwing the phone cord over her head, and pulled her close.

"Hey!" She turned to face him.

"You know that you can't just say that and leave." Luke's eyes searched hers for assurance. "You – are you sure?"

"I took the test three times...and I went to the doctor yesterday, I can't be surer than that. I just thought it was, you know, way too soon for this to happen to us, so I got scared that you'd get scared. I'm sorry I..."

Luke leaned in and silenced her with a kiss, and then the diner erupted in applause. Lorelai thought she heard Kirk whistling loudly.

"Hello...hello?" Luke looked surprised to hear a voice come out of the phone, and he went to hang it up. He then cleared his voice loudly so that everyone in the diner would pay attention to him.

"Okay, everything's on the house. So just go. Go! We're closed now." Lorelai sat down at the counter and watched everyone get up and leave the diner obediently. She saw Kirk approach Luke about to protest, but Luke shot Kirk such a death stare that he quailed and ran out.

"Luke, you didn't have to close up shop on my account..."

He ignored this. "So this is the reason why you've been avoiding me?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yes, sort of. I've also been feeling really nauseous... nothing you'd want to ever experience, much less witness."

Luke reached across the counter for her hand. "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm a little tired but I'm better. Morning sickness and I are just going to have to battle it out, that's all."

Luke gulped as he held her hand a bit tighter. "So, you – we are..."

"Yeah," said Lorelai cautiously. "We're going to be parents."

"And here I thought you were going to break up with me. Just when were you planning to tell me?"

"I don't know...I wasn't sure how you'd take the news. We've only been dating for what, six months? I guess I was worried that I'd scare you off, or worse, that you'd feel trapped."

"Trapped? Gee, you sure know how to see the bright side of things."

"Well, we just haven't discussed having kids. So Luke," said Lorelai, putting her other hand on top of his. "How are you feeling...honestly?"

"Honestly? Actually I feel relieved."

"Relieved? Shut up." Lorelai and Luke stared at each other. "Okay...I didn't mean literally 'shut up.' What do you mean, 'relieved'?"

Luke took a deep breath. "Look, I don't feel trapped, okay? I'm not scared. I'm here for you. I've always been here for you. Don't you get it by now?"

Lorelai nodded. "I get it. I was being stupid. I'm sorry."

"Promise me that you'll just be honest with me and not avoid me like that again."

Lorelai's stomach took the opportunity to respond with a rumble.

"Was that you?"

"You heard that?"

"All of Stars Hollow heard that. Did you have any breakfast?"

"No, Luke, that's why I'm here." Lorelai reached for her coffee cup, but Luke pulled it away. "No...wait!"

"It's either decaf or juice. Take your pick. And I'm going to make you a decent breakfast and you're going to eat all of it." Luke stepped into the kitchen. "I mean it."

"Ugh, fine...decaf." Lorelai got up and got another coffee cup.

"Would you wait?" Luke stepped back out of the kitchen. "I was going to get it for you."

"I'm not helpless." Lorelai poured the coffee for herself and sat down again.

"Here." Luke put a plate down in front of her. "You're also going to have some eggs and oatmeal."

Lorelai looked at the plate. "Luke! A cheese Danish! I think I love you even more."

"So you love me just for my food."

"That's where it all started, cowboy."

"What happened to 'burger boy'?"

"That was some expert lassoing you did earlier...that earns you a new nickname."

"I'm thrilled..."

THE END