So, I decided, after reading a ton of GG fanfic, that I maybe wanted to try my own hand at it. I love Lorelei and Luke, and I'm still after all these years totally upset about season 7. I wish I could erase it from TV history. Because I so wanted them to have their middle. And I wanted us to get to witness their middle.
I know there are a million stories about them, and how they would, should get on after what happened. But I decided to take a stab at it. I'm posting this one chapter now, and hopefully I get some reviews that will encourage me to continue with this story. So please, give me all your feedback, and let me know if you want this story to keep going.
- Ellen
The heavy, steady downpour that had been falling since early evening had bled all the color out of the small, quaint Connecticut town. Almost all of its residents were at their homes, tucked away safely from the wind and rain tormenting the outside. All businesses were closed up tightly, every window as dark as the night sky above. All but one. The light coming out the windows of the town diner could do nothing to fight the darkness of the streets beyond.
The owner of the diner stood motionlessly near one of the windows, staring intently out into the heavy rain, a dishrag held loosely in his right hand. He'd given up all pretenses of cleaning about 15 minutes ago, resigned to just standing at the window looking for the familiar form to pass by his diner. He sighed and turned to check the time again. It was nearing midnight, and the worry that simmered in his stomach burned higher and fiercer with every tick of the clock.
He'd told himself that she was no longer his concern, being separated for the better part of a year. But he couldn't help looking for her, out in the streets, just to make sure she was alright. She almost never came by the diner anymore, and when she did she was never alone. There was no more counter-banter or over the top flirting. No more longing looks and conversations conveyed between 2 pairs of blue eyes. Their relationship now reduced to that of polite acquaintances, nods when they passed each other in the street, plain orders with a side of aloofness.
He could still see the haunted look in her eyes, when they happened to land on his. The look in hers a reflection of the ones in his own eyes. The one that showed all the regret and hurt and desperation, that built itself in between the seemingly perfect couple. They'd been apart for the better part of a year and he'd come to terms with the actions they both took that got them to this point. He'd conceited that their split was as much his fault as it was hers.
That's why he couldn't hate her anymore, he didn't want to hate her. it was also why he stood by the window, every Friday night, waiting for her car to pass his window, to make sure she got home safely. But tonight, it was taking too damn long. He couldn't imagine her staying at her parents longer than it required to finish drinks and dinner, so she should have been home at least two hours ago. Pacing around did nothing to stop the growing agitatation he felt and he was about to turn and get his keys, when he saw a darker shadow shuffle through the rain.
Without thinking he yanked open the front door and raced through the torrent to get to her, quickly pulling her up the steps and into the dry warmth of his diner. She stood there, shaking uncontrollably, water dripping off her and forming puddles by her feet. He rushed to the back to get some of the blankets he kept in the store room. When he came back to the dining room he found she hadn't moved a muscle, staring intently at the water gathering on his floor. His eyes went wide when he looked a little closer at her feet. Her bare feet.
"Where the hell are your shoes!" he yelled at her. "It's not bad enough that you were wandering around in this storm without an umbrella. You had to do it without shoes?! Are you insane?!" He stopped to take a breath, his hands on his hips, head shaking and his eyes burning with anger. "Never mind, I already knew you were insane, this is just more proof." While he picked up the blankets he'd dropped a moment earlier and threw them over her, she opened her coat a little, to reveal a pair of high heels tucked under her arm. Her eyes met his and she shrugged as if to say 'did you really not see that coming'. "T-t-t-th-the-they rrrrrrr m-m-m-my fffffffff favorrrite." She managed to stutter out, before slumping down in the nearest chair. "You've got to be kidding me, you walked around bare feet outside because you didn't want to ruin your shoes? You are just unbelievable! Come on, let's get you upstairs and dried off before you catch something." He pulled her up from the chair and practically pushed her up the stairs towards his apartment. Once up there, he pulled out towels and something to wear, handed them over to her and pointed to the bathroom with a stern look on his face.
About 15 minutes later, he'd brewed some coffee for her, and a cup of strong tea for himself and she came out of the bathroom, a towel on her head and dressed in his clothes. He swallowed away the lump that formed in his throat at the sight of her. Even drenched and freezing she was still beautiful. Then he remembered the walking in the rain barefoot and his anger flared up again. "Sit!" he barked at her pushing out the chair in front of him with his feet. She nodded and sat across from him, wrapping her hands around the steaming cup of coffee and breathed in deep.
"What happened?" he asked her, softer this time. "Why were you out in this weather? And where is your car?" She looked up, seemingly looking through him instead of at him and sighed again. "Ddddecided t-t-t-to tttttry ttttthe n-n-n-new pppppublic ppppool." She shoked out, trying to make a joke out of the situation, as per usual, but without the conviction he usually heard in her voice. He glared at her, indicating that he did not find her amusing. She shrugged and moved on. "C-c-car br-br-broke dddown. N-n-no um-umbrella. Ddddropped ffffffffphone. Wwwwalked home."
His look softened and in that moment, all he wanted to do was to hold her, to pull her into a hug and comfort and warm her. And himself. And for the life of him, he couldn't, in that minute, figure out what was stopping him. "Lorelei…" he started, not really knowing what to say next. He reached out his hand to cover hers. Her hands were still cold as ice, and that was what made him push out every reservation he might still have. He walked over to the other side of the table, hunched down next to her and pulled her into a crushing hug. "Oh, Luke.." she sighed.