Disclaimer: Please! Me? Owning anything Gilmore? HA!

Author's Note: I got an idea, and it seemed cool, so I typed it, and now you get to read it. Enjoy.

Unlike Clockwork

"Ahhh!" Lorelai released a frustrated growl as she plopped down on the diner's stool.

"I take it your day's not going very well," Luke said noticing the accompanying scowl on her face.

She shifted her weight completely on the stool and looked at him with exasperation. "I am seriously hating this day," she said.

He gave her a small half-smile. "It can't be that bad. It's just a day."

"And exactly what angle are you looking at it from?" She brought both arms up and started to twist her hair in her hands. "Because you're going to have to share some of that perching space, Java Boy."

Luke gave her a brief problematic expression at being called boy. Lorelai, however didn't notice. She'd closed her eyes in a calming manner. Luke released a sigh and leaned on the countertop. "What's wrong?" He asked mechanically.

Lorelai dropped her hands and opened her eyes, an instant pout forming on her lips. "It's supposed to be March 1st," she whined.

"No, it's supposed to be the day that it is- February 29th," Luke replied sensibly.

"Thank god you're here. My calendar wasn't working this morning." She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. This day isn't normal--I mean, where was it last year...or the year before, or the one before that? It just pops up whenever it feels like it--" she said tossing her hands in the air, "just going around, 'yeah, here I am after four MIA years, so just...deal with it!' . It just saunters around wreaking havoc on everything trying to truly stand out from the other days--you know, the days that show up year after year--the dedicated days, if you will," she added sweetly like she was back to her normal self. It left just as quickly as it had come. "I just...hate this day!" She finished.

Luke waited patiently until she was done. "What's wrong with the day, Lorelai?" He asked.

"What's not wrong with it?" She asked shrugging. "It's causing everything to go wrong." Bringing her fingers up, she began to count, "First of all, I was completely out of coffee this morning. Didn't have time to stop in here so I had to drink the weak coffee that the construction crew at the inn drinks, which is the same as drinking no coffee at all. Secondly, Rory told me that she couldn't come home this weekend. Something about a group project. Knew Yale was a bad idea," she added. "Thirdly, every single time I talk to Tom, another zero is being added to the already cry-inducing price of getting everything ready and running. Fourthly, I am having one of the worst hair days. This..." she said pointing to her hair, "would make Trump cackle. "And, on top of all of that, I have to drive all the way to stupid Hartford to go get a stupid antique wall hanging for the inn in my jeep that's been like coughing up a hair ball for a week now because apparently I picked the short straw." She released a heavy exhale, settling down some. "I really hate this day," she ended.

Luke was silent for a moment, taking in all she had just said. "And, you think the date is the blame for all of that?" He asked dubiously.

"Yes, if it was March 1st, this wouldn't have happened," she said undauntedly.

"Of course. I see your point now," Luke said in a sarcastic tone.

Lorelai looked down tiredly. It seemed to her as if her luck had turned as soon as the clock struck midnight. Of course the date was to blame.

Luke looked down at her, sensing her true distress. "Hey," he said quietly. She looked up at him. "For what it's worth, your hair doesn't look as bad as you think." She smiled a little. "You have...good bad hair days," he added, nodding approvingly. This made her laugh.

"Thanks, Luke."

Luke smiled too. "And, if it'll help," he began, "I'm heading to the Hartford bank in a little bit, so you can just ride with me if you want."

Lorelai's face lit up. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," he said simply.

Lorelai cut her eyes at him. "And you're not just pretending to have to go because of my little breakdown back there?"

He shook his head. "Entertainment at most. I was heading that way anyway."

Lorelai smiled wide. "Well, that works out well. Can I ride shotgun?" She asked happily.

"It's a pick-up truck. Where else are you going to ride?" he asked smartly.

"Dirty," she said.

"What?"

"Think about it."

Luke held up a hand. "I'd rather not." He glanced at the clock and back at her. "Give me a couple minutes, and I'll be ready to go."

"Okay," she said releasing a sigh. Luke turned to walk away. "Luke," she called. He turned back. "You're an angel." He gave her a smile and disappeared behind the curtain.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

" I'm going to be in there for ten minutes," Luke stressed. They were parked near the bank, and his driver's side door hung open as he spoke to Lorelai. "Can you sit here for ten minutes without bothering anything?"

"Sure," Lorelai said while looking around at all the gadgets.

"Lorelai," Luke said watching her.

"Ooh, what does this do?" She asked reaching for a knob.

In the nearly thirty minutes that it took to get to Hartford, Lorelai's mood had shifted considerably. She had been talking and joking around with Luke, and as she reached for the pretty button, she was doing it for no other reason than to playfully bug him and enjoy the mood that she was now in.

He caught her arm. "Okay, out," he said.

"What?" She asked, her arm still in his palm.

He let her go and pointed to her door. "You're going inside with me. Come on."

He turned and got out of the car, and that's when Lorelai took a moment to laugh, replacing it instantly with a frown when he looked at her from the front of the car as he walked around to her side. He made it to her side, opened the door, and held it open for her. "But..." She complained.

"Come on," he said calmly.

"Okay," she breathed out. She stepped outside and allowed him to close the door. "You better hope they have that little sucker dish stocked up, Mister," she said folding her arms.

"I'm sure they won't disappoint," he said patting his pockets to make sure he had everything. "Okay, let's go. In and out," he said leading the way.

"Oooh, dirty," Lorelai sing-songed.

"Do you ever stop?"

"Nope, I'm just like the energizer, Baby. I keep going and going and going and---"

"--Causing headache after headache after headache," he finished, unfortunately picking up the tune in the process.

"You could totally do the sequel to that commercial. You sounded just like the guy."

"I'll keep that as a back-up just in case people stop getting hungry."

"Thinking ahead. Very responsible, Luke." They had made it to the front entrance, and Luke grabbed the door and stepped to the side, allowing Lorelai to enter first. She looked at him briefly, always silently noticing and subconsciously storing the many sweet things that he did. It never even seemed like he thought much of his actions. He just did them.

She stopped and turned toward Luke once she was inside of the small bank. "Are you going to the teller or one of the relationship bankers?" She asked pointing toward one of the offices.

He pointed straight ahead toward the tellers. She turned and walked with him to stand in the line of people.

Luke looked over at her. "I love to come in the middle of a work day in the middle of the week." He motioned toward the four customers in front of him. "Less people," he said with a small smile.

Lorelai looked at him for a moment. "Why is it that the day that I am having the worst day ever, you seem to be in a good mood?"

He shook his head. "I'm not in a good mood. I'm just not that frustrated today. It happens," he said shrugging.

She poked him lightly in the side. "Well, your non-good mood is turning this phantom day around for me."

He looked down at her. "How is that?"

She smiled. "I don't know. You're good company." He rolled his eyes. "I know how much you try to fight it, so for the sake of argument, let's just tell everyone that you threw two good jabs, okay?"

He paused. "Produced blood?"

"Lots of blood," she confirmed with exasperation.

"Make it three, and we've got a deal," he said holding out his hand.

Lorelai smiled wide. "You drive a hard and painful bargain," she said shaking his hand.

Two tellers were open. As one of the customers finished up at the counter, she grabbed her things and walked toward the exit, bringing the line down a bit. Luke took a step forward, Lorelai by his side chattering on about Michel and his chosen wardrobe for the day.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" A woman's scream caused all attention to be directed to the bank's entrance. The woman who had been about to leave the bank now stood frozen after having a handgun thrown in her face.

"I want everybody on the fucking floor now!"

TBC...