A/N: This is a 7 chapter piece centred around Luke. (Hence the title!) Its completed in that I have written the whole and I've split it into 7 chapters which I will update between now and the weekend. Should have it all up by sunday evening GMT. this is my 2nd GG fic so bear with me if I'm a little OOC. I don't have a beta reader (always looking for volunteers!) so any mistakes are my own.

I have this set in the season where Rory is in college but I didn't really bring any past romances into it. The whole story takes place over a week or so anyway.

Rating is Teen (with one chapter that might be better suited to mature audiences but I think Teen is ok. Let me know if you guys think I should change it. (It will be chaper 6)

Luke's Diner

By Skinfull

Luke knew the minute she walked in to the diner. The bell sounded different. Well no, it probably didn't he admitted with a chuckle but that didn't stop him from just knowing that she was there. He came out from the store room and tried to keep the smile he was feeling from creeping across his face as he approached her where she was sitting on a stool at the end of the counter.

Without asking he reached for the pot of coffee and poured her a large mug and placed it in front of her.

"Eating today?"

"Pffft, you think I'm on a diet or something?" Luke exhaled sharply and puffed out his cheek as he braced himself on the counter and waited for her to finish her bit. "You think I come in here for the charming atmosphere? The ambience? The banter with the staff?"

"Lorelai…"

"BLT." She grinned widely at him. "On white. Side of fries. Hold the L. And the T."

"So you want a bacon sandwich?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you just say that?" he asked and he immediately regretted it. Even before she responded he rolled his eyes and started to walk towards the kitchen to place her order.

"Because you can't just come in to a diner and ask for a B. What would it mean Luke? What would it mean?" She watched as he came back out from the counter and worked his way around the diner with the pot of coffee to refill his customer's cups, but that didn't stop her from calling out to him. "I'll tell you what it would mean Luke, it would be anarchy! Next thing people would be ordering all food with initials and then where would you be?!"

"Saving money by not needing so many order books?" he muttered beneath his breath hoping that she didn't hear but of course she did.

"What money you would save on those books would quickly be lost by the food you would have wasted by bringing the wrong orders out to people."

"Don't you have to be at work? Should I make this order to go?"

"No, no. I don't have to be back for another half hour. I'll be eating here." She delighted in sight of his eyes rolling skywards.

"Great." He replaced the coffee pot back onto the hot plate and looked at her with lips pressed together. He knew his tone didn't convey it, but he was delighted she was here. And more so he was delighted she was sitting at the counter, rather than a table. With Rory at college she was coming in on her own these days and more often than not she had been sitting at the counter. The stool by the register where she had a perfect view of the whole diner. He could feel her watching him when he worked the register. When he placed orders, collected them, made coffee and generally worked around the room.

He glanced over his shoulder and found her watching him with a cheeky grin. She moved her eyebrows when his eyes locked with hers and he couldn't help but smile. He shook his head and looked away, to concentrate on making a fresh batch of coffee.

"Heard from Rory?" he asked as he turned to wipe the counter and clean up after a customer that just left.

"Yeah she is going on a trip to DC with her Poli Sci class next week."

"So she won't be home tomorrow for the weekend?"

"No." she pouted and pushed her bottom lip out.

"Order up!" Ceaser called from the kitchen.

Luke went to pick up the order and placed her lunch down in front of her.

"But on the good side, it means I don't have to go out to casa Gilmore's for dinner."

"Always a silver lining huh."

"Always."

He left her to eat her lunch and worked on the rest of his diner serving customers and keeping the general trade active. She chatted idly about some documentary she had watched the night before but it elicited little or no response from him. He didn't need to actually partake in this conversation, she was just talking, almost as if she was afraid to eat in silence. He cleared her plate away when she was done and wiped the counter down as he topped up her coffee.

"Pie?" he asked.

"You need to ask?"

"Apple or blueberry?"

"Awww no pecan?"

"All gone."

"You didn't save me a slice?"

"I didn't know you'd be in."

"I've been coming in every day this week."

"Don't I know it." Luke muttered and glanced up at her only to see her mock hurtful expression on her face. "So you want the pie or not?"

"Not. I know when I've overstayed my welcome."

"Lorelai, I didn't mean-"

"No! No! Never let it be said that a Gilmore girl does not know when to walk away!"

"Lorelai!"

She rummaged in her bag for her purse and pulled out enough money to pay for her lunch. She dropped it onto the counter with a flourish. He watched helpless as she turned on her heel and walked out the door and immediately felt bad for teasing her. But as he watched her walking past the window she looked in at him and smiled with a wink making wave of relief wash over him.

By closing time Luke was tired. He cleaned up, turned off everything, set up for the next morning delivery and made his way up to his small flat above the diner. He went to the fridge and poured out a glass of iced tea then slumped into his arm chair and tried to let his day wash away. He had been up since 5 and had worked the diner alone today with only Cesar in the kitchen. Everything had gone as smoothly as a regular Thursday but that didn't stop his tiredness seeping into his bones. He sipped his iced tea and let his head fall back then closed his eyes for a second. What felt like only moments later he woke up when his alarm rang through the apartment. Luke dragged himself out of his hazy slumber and realised he had slept in the arm chair all night. He sat up and stood to stretch his muscles but winced in pain at the crick in his neck. He reached up to massage it out but it was no use. He went into the bathroom for a hot shower and dressed quickly to make it down to the diner in time to catch his delivery.

The morning rush was barely manageable but the pre-lunch lull was a welcome change of pace. He went into the store room and looked around at his ingredients to see what he would make for the afternoon desserts. As he spotted the pecans on the middle shelf he smiled and grabbed the bag.

When she came in for lunch, he popped his head out of the store room and couldn't help the smile that crept over his lips at the sight of her.

"What's goin on here?" she gestured at him and he frowned. He looked down at his front to see if there was something amiss.

"What?"

"This smile…its new…what's goin on?"

"Nothing." And like that the smile was gone. "Coffee?"

"Please."

He reached for the pot and winced in pain as he over stretched the muscle in his neck. He rubbed his shoulder with one hand as he turned to pour out her coffee.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, its nothing." But he couldn't hide the pain he was feeling. She got up off her stool and came round to the back of the counter. "Lorelai, you can't be back here."

"Show me, let me take a look." She tried to turn him away to take a look and grab his shoulder.

"Lorelai, no, ow! Get out of here," he said as he tried to shoo her away.

"Show me, don't be such a baby."

"Lorelai, go!" he ushered her back to the other side of the counter and went back to the relative safety of his own side.

"Sheesh!" she sipped her cup of coffee but kept an eye on him as he worked his way around the diner, clearly favouring one side on his neck over the other.

"So, are you eating today?"

"Do we have to go through this every day?"

"It's my job. What do you want?" He took the order book out of his back pocket and prepared to write her order down.

"Service with a pleasant demeanour?"

"Go to Westins." He slipped the notebook back into his pocket and turned to walk away but she laughed and called him back.

"Can I get a W with B on the side?" she said with a mischievous grin.

He looked up at her with a thin smile and thought about responding to her but with the niggling pain in his neck and his back sore from sleeping on the chair he wasn't really in the mood for another tirade.

"Fine." Was all he said and he wrote something down in his notebook then added it to the reel by the hatch to the kitchen.

"Really? That's all? Nothing more to add to that?"

"Nope."

"Grumpy today all of a sudden."

"No, just not feeding you any more lines."

"But Luke, if you won't feed me, who will?" She pleaded with him. "I'll waste away to nothing! Do you want to be responsible for that?"

"Lorelai, I'm working here!"

She opened her mouth to speak but the ring of her phone interrupted her. Without looking up Luke pointed at the sign behind his counter and she rolled her eyes as she walked out of the diner. He watched her take the call with one eye and from his vantage point he could see if wasn't a pleasant call. She waved her arms and paced the sidewalk then hung up and took a minute to compose herself before coming back into the diner.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah, just the usual Gilmore drama from Hartford."

"Emily?"

"Yeah. Another trip down guilt lane."

"Going out there for dinner then?"

"No. I told them I had plans."

"Oh." Luke paused for a moment then continued. "Do you have plans?" he asked at the same time as Caesar called out "Order Up!" drowning out his words and he looked up at Lorelai who was watching him curiously. He grabbed the plate from the hatch and placed it in front of her.

"You deciphered my code!" she said in a high pitched delighted tone and clapped her hands together with a laugh. He had served her sweet waffles with a side of bacon. He stood before her drying mugs and placing them onto the shelf behind him, avoiding her gaze and ignoring her glee.

"Didn't exactly need the enigma machine for it."

She bit into her lunch and sipped her coffee then leaned forward on the counter. "No."

"Huh?" Luke looked up and frowned then glanced from side to side to see if there was someone else she had been talking to, but immediately regretted it as a sharp pain rolled over his neck and shoulders making him wince again, and she didn't miss it.

"I was just responding to your question. About whether I had plans. The answer was no."

"Oh. Ok." He focused back on the cups that needed to be dried and shelved.

"Why do you ask? Were you planning on taking me out on the town?"

"What? No!" He flustered and almost dropped the cup he was holding. "I was just making conversation."

"Yeah, you are renowned for your conversation skills." She finished the last of her waffles and coffee and pushed her plate away then rummaged in her bag for her purse.

"Not staying for pie today?" he asked, thinking of the pecan pie he had just finished before she came in.

"No, not today. I know how you feel about serving me pie."

"Lorelai, c'mon…"

"I can't. I have to get back anyway." She slipped on her coat and left money on the counter. "Thanks for the W & B though, maybe tomorrow I'll try out a CB & F."

Luke rolled his eyes at her as she sauntered away. He tried not to show his disappointment at her short visit and wondered if maybe he would send some pie round to the inn later but thought better of that when he realised Sookie might not like food being delivered to a business she is cooking for.

He knew she would finish work at about 6 and be home shortly afterwards. Some evenings she had come in for dinner too but not every evening. He would see if she would make an appearance later and if not he would maybe bring some pie around. If there was any left, he added then wondered briefly if he had added it to the list of pies that were available. He glanced over at the chalkboard and scanned the list. Strawberry, key lime, blueberry, apple, rhubarb, mixed fruit and mango pies. No pecan. Well, he said to himself, if they ran out, he'd add it.

All day he watched the chalkboard list of pies lessen and the clock on the walk tick slower and slower to closing time. By seven o clock he was down only to rhubarb and he knew there was only one slice of that left. But he was closing soon and there were only a few customers left so he thought he was safe.

She hadn't called in on her way home to collect food and he knew she was always home by now, so he guessed she was curled up on her couch with an ungodly amount of food and an old movie. Maybe she wouldn't want pie. He wondered, already doubting himself before he had even really decided to call round. Then as the last customer left and Caesar cleaned up the kitchen he realised he was going to call round. He went into the store and pulled the pie out of the press then placed it into a takeout box.

"Taking your work home with you?" Caesar said with a chuckle as he took off his apron and left it hanging on a hook on the door frame. "You know that's not good for you."

"I'll manage."

"Okay, I'm going to take off. See you tomorrow!" Caesar saluted as he walked through the diner and out the door and Luke soon followed suit.

His truck was parked outside and it was a balmy night so he didn't bother with his jacket. The short distance to her house was covered in no time and he only hesitated now that he was parked outside, behind her jeep. He took a deep breath, grabbed the pie box from the passenger seat and climbed out. He crossed her lawn in a few easy strides and knocked on the door.

"Whoo Hoo!" came a call from the inside and he heard her singing as she came to the door. She flung the door open but had her head bent as she rummaged through her bag for money. When she found the amount she needed he held it out and looked up. "Oh! It's you!"

"Sorry."

"I thought you were Chinese food."

"No. Just pie." He lifted up the box and she squealed out in delight.

"You brought me pie?"

"Pecan pie."

"You brought me pecan pie?" Luke shrugged but winced again at the pain in his neck. "Come in, I just ordered some Chinese and I'm about to watch Cheaper by the Dozen but not the cheaper by the dozen staring Steve Martin and Bonnie hunt, but the original from 1950 that was based on the book."

"Wasn't the Steve Martin version based on the book too?"

"No!" She held up her hand to stop him. "It was based on the movie that was based on the book."

"Oh, ok, important distinction."

"Good, I'm glad we agree." She opened the door up wider. "So come in."

"No, its ok, I've got to get back." He held out the pie box for her to take but she just looked at it and then looked back up to him.

"Come in Luke!"

"No, I can't. Early delivery tomorrow."

"Its seven thirty."

"Really early delivery. Take this."

She took the pie and he backed away then turned at the top of the stairs and hurried back to his truck. She watched him take off and closed the door then brought the pie into the kitchen and opened the box. She expected a couple of slices not a full pecan pie. She smiled and grabbed a plate and cut herself a healthy slide then carried it into the living room and pressed play on the video.

Luke got back to the diner and went up to his apartment. He wasn't sure why he didn't go in when she invited him but something was pulling him away. He reached up to his shoulders and tried to massage the kink out of his neck. He took a hot shower and tried not to think about it. In his head he went over the itinerary of items he was expecting in the delivery the next morning as he dried off and climbed into bed. After sleeping on the arm chair the night before he was looking forward to stretching out in the cool sheets and letting his sleep wash over him and he was right, it didn't take long for his slumber to encompass his brain.

He dreamt he was making pies. Every available flat surface on his diner was covered in pies. He was cutting patterns into the pastry and lining them up to go into the stove. He was rolling pastry, mixing sauces dusting them with sugar and cutting them up. When he reached to open the stove the door fell open and a wave of heat hit him, making him back away. Suddenly he realised he was surrounded by stoves. And one by one all the doors fell open. He tried to get by them but the heat was too much, the smoke turned black and he tried to cover his mouth to keep breathing.

Luke woke up coughing and spluttering and in seconds realised he was surrounded by black smoke. He rolled out of the bed and on to the floor. He hurried commando style across his apartment to the phone by the door and dialled 911. When the dispatcher responded he gave his address and she said the fire brigade was on the way. She stayed on the phone with Luke as he tried to find a way out.

There was only on way out of his apartment but before he could race to freedom he realised he needed to dress. He had gone to bed straight after his shower and hadn't bothered to put on any pyjamas.

He grabbed a pair of shorts and a top from the chair at the end of the bed and dressed as quick as he could without getting off the floor so he could stay out of the smoke. He grabbed his sneakers and brought them with him to the door of his apartment where he tested the door knob and to his relief it was still cool. He pulled it open and hurried down the stairs but couldn't get all the way down as the smoke was thick and black and forced him back up the stairs. He went to the windows and pulled them open but they weren't big enough to climb out of.

"I'm stuck!" he said into the phone.

"Stay calm sir, the fire truck is on the way. Wet a towel and cover your mouth to help you breath. Stay low!"

Luke did as he was told then crouched low beneath the open window and tried to stay out of the smoke.

To his relief he could hear the sirens getting closer and soon they had pulled up outside his diner. He could hear chief Brody calling out orders to the fire men outside and he grabbed a yellow towel and shoved it out the window to get their attention. Soon there was a fireman standing on a ladder outside his window. He instructed Luke to step back and when he found cover the fireman put an axe through the window, covered the bottom of the frame and called out to Luke to climb out.

When he put his feet down on solid ground out on the street Luke turned to look at his diner engulfed in flames. And only then did it him what was happening. His instinct to escape had kept the thoughts at bay as to what exactly he was losing, and now looking on as the firemen battled the flames he realised what was happening.

An EMT came over and offered him a blanket and some oxygen but Luke pushed him aside. He was rooted to the spot, waiting for the outcome. From what he could tell this was a destructive fire with more than just cosmetic damage being left behind. The windows of the diner had been blown out from the heat and black smoke was pouring out of the open windows of his apartment.

About fifteen minutes after the fire brigade arrived it seemed all flames had been extinguished. Chief Brody examined the building with one of the firemen before coming out to meet Luke on the street.

"It'll be tomorrow before I can get you a full report."

"What the hell happened?"

"Looks to me like an electrical short from the stove."

"What?" Luke tried to walk into the diner but Brody held him back.

"You can't go in. Not until we have it fully inspected."

"I live there! I work in there!" Luke exclaimed. "Everything I own is in there!"

"Luke I'm sorry, but you have to wait. It's not safe. I'll start the building frame inspection at first light."

"What the hell…" he started to cough but instead of just one or two rounds it turned into a fit. He braced his hands on his knees and tried to get control of it but the EMT he had ushered away came running over and this time he let him put the oxygen mask on his face. Luke was led over to the waiting ambulance and Brody followed.

"First light Luke. I'll call you when it's done."

"Call me?" Luke said between coughs. "How? I don't have a god dammed cell phone."

"Call me when you get out of the hospital."

Luke nodded, choosing not to verbally respond until he could control his breathing and lay back on the gurney as the EMT took his blood pressure and attached EKG readers to his chest.

They kept him in the hospital overnight but Luke couldn't sleep. All he could think about was his fathers hardware store. The office upstairs he had turned into an apartment and how now, everything was gone. His chest hurt, his lips were dry and cracked and he couldn't get the taste of the smoke out of his mouth no matter how many times he brushed. He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling and counted the hours until first light.