I want to thank you ahead of time for giving a moment to my little piece of fan fiction here. I'm sure I'm not the only one to try and lick their wounds by writing their own ending to the Luke and Lorelai story line. This is my 1st fiction, try to not be scared by that. This is a chapter story but I assure you it's already completely outlined. I took some creative liberties I should mention, 1. April at the hospital, the character reference and Richard at the hospital all happen before Paris. 2. Liz is extremely pregnant, Lane has just found out about the twins and Sookie is not pregnant. 3. The Lorelai I know could never have said yes. Also, I of course don't own any rights to anything why else would I be posting here. Oh and if I had to rate this story I'd give it a T to keep the Gestapo at bay. Thanks again, here's to hoping you like it.

There is comfort in home, Lorelai thinks to her self. Enjoying the familiar creak of the porch swing while fondly surveying the way the sun disappears just so behind the neighboring rooftops. She pulls the quilt on her lap further up her neck and breathes deep. Jet lag becoming a distant memory with each inhale. Its late fall, the colors of turning leaves is just a memory but there's a promise on the wind. The promise of winter and she reminds herself happily of snow.

A little green Prius pulls into the driveway. Its driver smiles tentatively through the windshield. She nervously debates the wisdom of planning to stay the whole weekend. Rory was tried of forced smiles and swallowed concerns. Especially here in the one place, with the one person, with whom it should be different. She slips out of the car, grabs her bag from the back seat and makes her way up the porch.

"Hey, Kid." Lorelai smiles.

"Hey, yourself." Rory drops her bag and leans comfortably against the porch rail opposite her mother, her eyes studying Lorelai's face. "How was Paris?" She opens, a calculated move. The question, innocent in nature was loaded. It was a challenge to reveal the real reason for her impromptu and impassioned invitation home.

"Very Parisian." Lorelai counters with a false air of calm. As if to drive that deception home, she casually brushes the hair from her face and cocks her head to the side, indicating it was now Rory's move.

"Mom?" Rory was done playing games.

"What? No small talk. It's my forte. Just think of all those wasted hours on the plane perfecting my 101 witticisms on a baguette and that was just the opening shtick . . ."

"No small talk." Rory insists. Her left hand nervously peeling the paint off the porch rail. Lorelai's attempts at light hearted repartee were transparent at best. Her desire to stall reinforcing Rory's desire to know. Lorelai sighs, resigned to her fate. She turns her head into the wind and takes one last breath of fall.

"Christopher proposed in Paris." It's whispered. As if, said softly, the blow to her daughter would likewise be soft.

"Proposed?" Rory's face pales. "Proposed marriage? What he figured third times the charm? What did you say? How did you answer him?" She demanded as her fingers grasp the rail to keep herself upright. "Oh my god, mother, tell me you didn't. . . ."

"Rory, take a deep breath." Lorelai looks up at her daughter, genuinely concerned.

"Mom?" Not wanting yet needing to know her mother's answer.

"It's PARIS." Lorelai accentuates each syllable for emphasis. "The chips are stacked. It's like cheating. The city lights up like a disco ball. There's music in the air. Don't ask me where it's coming from because I haven't a freaking clue. Your stomachs already spinning because you just ate a ton of some incredibly rich food. It's like magic. Presto, instant romance. A perfect moment."

Lorelai avoided her daughter's eyes as she recounted the moment by way of explanation. If she had been able to look at Rory she would have seen how she adamantly shook her head no.

"Only it wasn't. I can actually see the damned Eiffel tower in the distance and Christopher is offering me the rock of Gibraltar along with everything I thought I wanted. But, I felt horrible."

"Mom." Rory interjects softly. Trying to soothe the surge of emotions that spilled out with the words as Lorelai spoke.

"I couldn't have been more miserable. The stupid side of my brain is yelling at me. Seriously, Lorelai, what more could a girl ask for? Take the rock! What is wrong with you? While the smart side of my brain, which seems to have been AWOL for the last. . Oh, I don't know, year of my life. Picks now to speak up and is chanting in an equally head spitting decibel. You don't love him!" Lorelai pauses for a moment to steady the shaking of her voice. "Jane's right, you know." She continues softly.

"Jane?" Rory asks, more than a little confused.

"Smart side." Lorelai answers simply.

"Of course." After all this was still Lorelai Gilmore.

"I don't love him. Not in the way I should. How did I let it get that far?" Rory slid in next to her mother on the swing. Her presence a show of solidarity.

"What kind of person does that? I needed to move on so badly that I didn't care to notice who I left crushed and bleeding on the side of the road. Christopher was blindsided, he didn't deserve that. . ."

Rory watches her mother carefully. She suspects that Christopher and the he that followed were in fact two different people. Lorelai wipes a tear from her cheek with shaking fingers before looking her daughter in the eyes.

"And you Rory. How many times did you just want to shake me?"

"I lost count." Rory answers honestly.

"I'm sorry. I screwed up, so badly. I am so sorry. I feel like it's all crashing down around me and that's fine. I'll be fine. They're my consequences. I made my bed, I'll lie in it. And whatever other stupid cliché means the same thing. But, I won't be, fine. . If you and I can't . . . please, forgive me."

"Mom, there's nothing to forgive." Rory tries to ease her mother's pain away but Lorelai will not allow herself the comfort.

"Don't pacify me. I know how angry you have to be. . ."

"Mom, always. I'll always forgive you." Rory insists, her voice breaking. Only then does Lorelai wrap her arms around her daughter holding tight to the solace of their embrace.

"So it's over, you and dad?" Pulling back to look at Lorelai.

"So over."

Rory lets out the breath of relief. "Good."

"I thought you'd be disappointed and upset. I thought . . ."

"Mom, I am way, way over my Hayley Mills period. You and dad are bad for each other. He's like a virus for you, something you just can't get over. He infects your brain, causing outbreak after outbreak of heartache and stupidity. Each time messier than the last. That can't be love, that's not even like."

"Wow . . . and eww." Lorelai crinkles her face in disgust.

Rory flushed, realizing she may have said too much. "Paris is pre-med and there are medical books lying around the apartment all the time. When I'm bored I . . So the vernacular has kind of stuck. I'm sorry."

"I'll never watch House again."

"Mom, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. It's just. . ." She pauses for effect. "Now you tell me!" Lorelai speaks with the dramatic air of the theatre. Rory's mouth drops open as Lorelai erupts into giggles. This earns her a playful swat on the arm. Their laughing together for the first time in a long time. Sobered by that thought, Rory whispers suddenly serious. "I've missed you."

Lorelai nods equally solemn. "I've missed you . . And . . I've missed me too. I'm sorry I . . "

Rory cuts her off quickly. "Don't be. I know what it's like to get lost along the way."

"Yeah?" Lorelai could fill her eyes filling with tears of gratitude.

"Yeah."

If Rory could truly forgive her than maybe everything was going to be okay. With that belief, Lorelai banished the tears and the guilt, at least for now.

"I'm bored of me, tell me about you." She smiles, giving Rory her full attention. Rory complies happily. She too had a renewed faith in their unque bond and expresses this by babbling incessantly about everything in her life that Lorelai had missed.

The house is prepared for a classic Gilmore movie night. Rory is sitting on the couch riffling through Lorelai's chosen movie selection, when she stops abruptly pulling one movie from the stack.

"Oh no. Mom! I am not watching The New World again."

"But I've never seen it." Lorelai whines good-naturedly as she enters the living room carrying a tray of jalapeno poppers.

"That's only because you've fallen asleep all 50 times you've tried to watch it!"

"I'll rephrase, I've never seen all of it." She slips the tray onto an open spot on the coffee table and plops herself down on the arm of the couch. Rory turns to her with righteous indignation.

"I believe it was the 22nd time that I even strapped you to a caffeine IV, illegal in all 50 states, only available in Europe, and you were still snoring before the end of the opening sequence."

"Ahh, I remember, that was good sleep." Lorelai grins.

"Forget it!" Reaching over to the tray and popping a popper into her mouth in punctuation.

"Rory! This is a critically acclaimed film, which rarely happens anymore." Lorelai grabs the movie from Rory as if to protect it. "Very important movie people agree that this is a must see. I am movie people, I must see."

"Critic's are the antithesis of a movie person." Rory points out. "You'd think you would take into account that your brain shuts down in self defense. While listening to the ridiculously somber, drawn out chords of the opening score, oh, I think it was time number 45, I was wishing we had that coping mechanism in common." Lorelai's obviously enjoying Rory's little rant. "Your annoying need to be right, yes, but that, no."

"But, Rory . . ."

"Lorelai!"

Lorelai sighs. "It's like in the Emperor's New Clothes."

"The Emperor's New Clothes?"

"What?"

"I'm just trying to connect the dots to that reference."

"Gigi."

"Oh, right." Rory mutters, kicking herself for bringing up a painful reminder of the not so distant past. Lorelai seems undaunted as she continues full steam ahead. "The king can't admit that he can't see the fabric because that would make him a moron. He's king, he can't afford to look like a moron, and so he lies and pretends it's the finest fabric he's ever seen. So, then his advisors have to lie and the queen and so on and so forth because no one wants to be the moron."

"So you're the king?"

"No, the critic's are the king, I'm the Queen." Lorelai gives Rory a look that clearly implies, duh.

"Mom."

"What?"

"The king isn't wearing any clothes."

"Fine. Pick another movie." Tossing the movie on the couch in defeat and pouting her displeasure, until the doorbell rings. "Yea, the food's here!"

"You ordered food? What's all this?" Rory motions to the junk food lollapalooza on the table.

"A snack. Where have you been the last 22 years?"

Walking towards the door. "Coming."

"Right, silly me."

"Here you go." Lorelai pays the man, while delicately balancing the Al's take-out bags in the crook of her left arm. "Drive safe, Ed. Thank you." Spinning around and returning to the living room.

"It's not often that I have my daughter to myself for the whole weekend. We're living it up. Flat out like a lizard drinking." Seeing that the coffee table is beyond full, Lorelai nudges the ottoman into place along side it and deposit's the food there.

"It has been awhile since we've done this, hasn't it?" Rory said quietly.

Lorelai looks at Rory, a sad little frown on her face.

"I'm just afraid I'm out of fighting shape, coach." Rory was eager to return to the lighthearted afternoon they were enjoying. She watched her mother's subtle sigh of relief.

"I have Tums's in the medicine cabinet." Lorelai informed her.

"Alright then, let's eat!"

After every item of an edible nature was sampled and the movie played unnoticed in the back ground. Both Lorelai and Rory were sprawled this way and that across the couch basking after their meal.

"So, how are things with Logan?" Lorelai asks prodding her daughter in the ribs with her finger. The only motion she can manage at this stage of digestion.

"Things are good."

"That's funny. You said good but I heard crappy."

"You might want to make an appointment for that."

"I hope you don't think you have to protect my fragile psyche because I'm fine. I can take it."

"Oh, I know you can take it. There's just nothing more to take. Logan's good. He's just trying to figure out his next move. In Vegas." She explains, with just a touch of bitterness in her voice.

"Good, huh? Are you sure. Because they say, save the drama for your mama."

"Ahh, yes. Bumper sticker psychology."

"Quick and economical."

"I've had enough drama, I'd take a good comedy any day."

"You're preaching to the choir, kid." Lorelai manages to lift her whole arm to give Rory a comforting squeeze, before it plops heavily back to the couch again. "Why did you let me eat so much?" She groans her face scrunched in an exaggerated expression of pain.

The following day, Lorelai and Rory are in downtown Starshollow enjoying an ice cream after a full day of shopping. In high spirits, Lorelai describes an event at the inn concerning Michel, while eagerly spooning bites of java chip into her mouth.

"Are you kidding? I had to give them a full refund. Let me tell you, Mommy does not like parting with the money."

"Better than a lawsuit though." Rory reminds her. Swirling her spoon around in the cup in an effort to savor every last morsel.

Lorelai considers this. "Yes, very true."

As they round the corner they nearly run into Luke and April. Lorelai manages to skid to a not so graceful stop, dropping her bag with an oof on the street. Embarrassed, she stoops down to collect it, being careful not to tip the ice cream in her other hand. The scene reminiscent of a tight rope walker at the circus.

At the same time, Rory loses her balance completely and has to be steadied by Luke, who just manages to side step an ice cream to the flannel.

April, who is completely unscathed and impervious to the flush on all of their faces, beams happily at Lorelai. "Hi Lorelai! I'm so glad we ran into you, I've been wanting to thank you for forever." Throwing her arms around her.

Lorelai's eyes grow big with surprise as she politely hugs the girl back as best as she can with two full hands. Sending Luke a quick apologetic look over April's shoulder, she manages to shutter. "Thank me? What for?"

"What for?" April asks surprised, releasing Lorelai. "My dad told me it was you who told him to take me to the hospital when I had appendicitis." Lorelai raised her eyes to Luke in disbelief. "I was being stupid because of a party I wanted to go to and would have ignored the whole thing. Which, as I now understand the science of it, would have been a very, very bad thing. You practically saved my life. Not to mention, the whole custody thing. You wrote a character reference for dad, Right?" Luckily that was a rhetorical question because Lorelai was too stunned to speak. "He said the judge was very impressed. So, really you saved my life twice. Not that New Mexico's not great. I'm just really glad I get to visit Starshollow." April finished sweetly, linking her arm around Luke's.

"How are you? The diner?" Lorelai asks Luke after realizing she was still staring.

"Fine and you? The inn?"

"Good."

"Your dad?" He continues dutifully.

"Better, much better, thank you. Driving my mother crazy, so perfect, actually." Lorelai can't help but grin at the thought.

Luke forgets to continue his end of their stilted conversation as he tries to remember the last time he's seen her smile. It's been too long, he decides, watching the curve of her lips and the sparkle in her eyes.

Rory, noticing that the conversation had come to a sudden stop, jumps in to avoid discomfort.

"I heard Liz is due soon, please give her our best wishes." Lorelai silently thanks her.

"Thank you, Rory. I'll tell her." Luke smiles and nods at Rory. Grateful for a reason to pull his eyes away from Lorelai.

"Luke, Caesar is refusing to make my patty melt just how I like it." A voice tattles.

Lorelai and Rory both jump startled by Kirk's sudden presence. They look around trying to figure out where he appeared from, the diner was still blocks away.

"I'm with my daughter, Kirk." Luke answers already annoyed.

"Hi April, If you could go tell him . . . "Kirk, as usual, completely misses the point.

"Go away, Kirk."

"Fine." He pouts. "Hey Lorelai." He says, just noticing her. "Congratulations on your engagement."

"What are you talking about, Kirk?" Lorelai snaps.

"I heard Christopher proposed to you, again. Third times the charm, eh?" Kirk grins conspiratorially, nudging her on the arm.

"Kirk!" Lorelai can feel the color drain from her face. She casts a frantic glance at Luke.

Luke's expression hovers somewhere between horror and homicide, he tightens his fists until his knuckles are white in an attempt to control his rage.

"How do you know that?" The moment the question leaves Rory's lips Lorelai winces. Her daughter has just unwittingly provided conformation. Rory realizing shoots her mother a look of apology.

"Congratulations." Luke growls, glaring at Lorelai. Inwardly cursing himself for only a moment ago being hypnotized by her.

"No, Luke . ." She tries but he cuts her off.

"Come on, April. Let's go!"

"But, dad . ." April looks back at Lorelai, confused. Then follows Luke down the street.

"Luke, it's not what you think. If you would just let her explain!" Rory calls desperately after him.

"Rory. Enough, forget it."

"What did I say?" Both brunette heads whip back to Kirk. Rory lunges for him. "Kirk!"

Lorelai's arm around her midsection the only thing stopping her from ringing his scrawny little neck. Kirk decides it's a good time for him to make a quick get away.

"So much for no drama. Where is Mary J. Bilge when you need her?" Lorelai smiles weakly, shifting the shopping bag on her arm and guiding Rory away down the street. Simultaneously they drop their happy ice cream in the trash can.