Curer of Souls

Hello lovely person reading my fan fic! This is set after the season final of series three. Most things after that do not happen in my story. Jess left, Rory hasn't heard from him in two years. Luke and Lorelai are together. Dean has married Lindsey and Rory is going to Yale. So that is what you need to know. Enjoy the story and review if you liked it. Cheers Lisy

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Chapter 1: Coffee, Headaches and a Ghost that won't go Away.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They belong to Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Stars Hallow was surprisingly quiet for 8 o'clock in the morning. The picturesque town usual a buzz of town folk at that time, was almost blank apart from a few passes-by.

'It looks…?'

'Dead…'

'Empty…'

'Was there an emergency town meeting?' A confused Lorelai asked.

'Surely we would have been told. Did you forget? Were you told and you forgot?' Rory accused angrily.

'No! I certainly was not told. Do you honestly think me, Lorelai Gilmore, would forget such a thing as an emergency town meeting?' She answered with a frown on her face, trying to remember if in fact Taylor did stop by the Inn the day before to tell them. She came to the quick conclusion that she had not in fact been told of any town meeting, emergency or otherwise.

'Well, we shall just have to continue to Luke's and hope that there is some sort of explanation.'

Lorelai simply hummed in agreement as they turned the corner

They stopped short. The diner was overflowing.

'Well…here is the rest of the town' Rory looked around her as Lorelai squeezed through the crowd.

'LUKE?' All Lorelai could think of was getting that perfect cup of coffee in her to start her morning. She wasn't going to let the rest of the town stop; she'd go through a brick wall if she had to.

'This is not a big deal. Okay, not a big deal at all' Luke stood at the counter angrily with a disgruntled Kirk staring determinately at him.

'It is a big deal Luke. You could have given us some warming, perhaps put an ad in the paper. Even brought it up in a town meeting.' Kirk got few hums and ahs of agreement from the crowd that had gathered.

Lorelai had pushed her way through the crowd by this time and was deeply intrigued as to what preciously was the 'big deal'.

'What's going on?' She asked like an excited child.

'Ah, you're all I need' Luke sighed.

'Luke has decided to change his menu. We were not given any warning.' Kirk felt it was his duty to inform all town members of this shocking change.

'Kirk, I added two meals to the breakfast menu and an extra mash with two of the dinner meals. This is not a big deal.' Luke yelled angrily. No one was buying anything, they were all just standing around wanting to know how long the change would stay for and why, it had in fact, occurred in the first place.

'But why? I mean, you haven't changed it in all the years you have run the diner. Why would you just suddenly want to change it? Surely the town should have been informed of your decision?' Lorelai decided it was time to intervene before Luke's head blew off.

'Ah Luke, sorry to interrupt mind boggling conversation you two are having but could I get my breakfast and a really big cup of your finest coffee?' She put her best smile for him; she was getting really desperate for a coffee.

'I run my business the way I choose. It has nothing to do with the town and certainly does not need all these extra people in my business.' Luke raised his voice so everyone could hear him.

'Luke? Honey? Really dying for that coffee.' She was getting desperate.

'Do you hear that everyone? Anyone not buying get out!' He'd had enough. Slowly the diner cleared. Luke began muttering to himself about town option.

'Okay, Luke, your really pushing my limit. Coffee now!'

'Oh right, sorry. What are the two of you having for breakfast?' He gave her a quick kiss before getting his pencil and pad ready for, what was in his option, an extremely unhealthy diet.

Meanwhile Rory had managed to grab a table as the diner cleared out. She looked around her and, as always, thought of Jess. She sometimes still expected to walk into Luke's and find Jess running round taking orders with a coffee jug in his hand. It had been just over two years since his abrupt departure. Of course Luke had told Rory all about Jimmy coming back and how Jess would not have graduated. What Luke hadn't told either of them was that he heard from Jess all the time. A year after he had left Jess had written and apologised for messing everything up so badly and for going back on their deal. He told his uncle that it had taken a year, but he had finally gotten his act together. He had finished high school and was now employed by a New York newspaper as a regular columnist. Luke had met up with him a few times, having dinner in a flashy restaurant were Jess insisted on paying. The last time they had met up Jess had handed him a cheque for all the money he owed him. Luke had been so proud. Jess continued to write, telling him of his travels around the world and the people he met. Luke felt bad for not telling the girl he saw as his own daughter. But he knew how heartbroken she was over him. Rory had tried to forget him while backpacking in Europe with her mom. And when she had started at Yale. She had met new people, but all she wanted was Jess. And she would probably never see him again. She wandered how she could move on, or whether she should try to contact him. But she never got up the nerve and even if she did, what was there to say. He had left her, and there was nothing more to it. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. Her headache had returned. She had been getting them more and more over the last few weeks, becoming more intense when she was stressed. This happened to be often at Yale. She forced a smile on her face as her mother came to the table. She didn't want her mother to worry, surely this was nothing. She decided to talk to Paris about it when she went back to college after the weekend. Until then she would enjoy her time in Stars Hallow, and try to relax.