Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls.

So about two years ago, this story started as a notion that it would one day be developed into a story that explored the idea of Lorelai and Luke hooking up much earlier in Season 4. But, as it goes, this was buried in a pile of other things I was working on and random ideas I came up with and was never worked on beyond this chapter. I discovered it again recently and did a re-write for this. For now, it will remain a one-shot that takes place in "Ted Koppel's Big Night Out" but Lorelai's date with Jason doesn't go as it did on the show. Hope you enjoy!

Lorelai stared out the window watching as the scenery raced by, the headlights on the car illuminating the road in front of them. Silence filled the car, the low rumble of the engine being the only sound that played in her ears. Well that, and the growling of her stomach that she was sure would register on the Richter scale. She silently hoped that he wouldn't hear because that would just start the great taco debate all over again and she wasn't in the mood to explain why being the only person eating tacos in a car while on a date wasn't fun. It just wasn't fun and talking about it was even less fun. Not to mention pathetic.

Earlier, they had passed by a grocery store and for a split second, she entertained the idea of asking him to stop so she could find something, anything, to eat before she starved to death and was entombed in his car. But with her luck tonight, of him not being into Mexican food and him renting out a secluded room for dinner while the real party was right outside their door, she figured the grocery store would fall into the same category of a doomed date. So, she let the idea slide while her stomach groaned in protest.

"You should've gotten the tacos," the driver of the car piped up.

"Jason," Lorelai sighed, exasperated with the conversation that already happened twice since leaving the taco place. She was finished with the day as a whole. Everything had just been off. "Let's not do this again, I told you I didn't want the tacos."

"But you're hungry, you should of went with the tacos. You loved the tacos. You raved about the tacos," Jason replied.

He took his eyes off the road for a mere second to let his eyes roam over the gorgeously dressed woman in his passenger side seat. A woman that he had an inkling he wouldn't be seeing much more of, at least not in the way he wanted to.

"I'm not hungry," Lorelai replied though her stomach begged to differ. Her eyes glanced over to him in the driver's seat and she managed a small smile. "Just take me home."

Jason nodded carefully. "Home, got it."

The smile fell from her face as she turned back to the window and waited for the familiar 'Welcome to Stars Hollow' to pop up. The whole day had just been off and she was ready to get back to Stars Hollow and be in the comfort of her own home and bed. From waking up earlier than a person ever needed to on a Saturday for a football game that she didn't care about to fighting with her parents in which she was blamed for everything that wasn't her fault to the date that had so much promise only to fizzle out within the first few minutes. She could practically hear her bed calling her and telling her to just sleep this day away. That tomorrow would be better.

A genuine smile crossed her face when the familiar blue and white sign came into a view. As her mind processed that she was this close to being home, she had another idea. "Hang a left here," she instructed.

"Left?" Jason questioned. "I thought you lived the other way."

"I do, but for now I need to go this way."

Jason turned the corner per her instructions. "So tonight?"

"Hit-and-miss," Lorelai informed him. The yellow mug hanging out front greeted her like an old friend. "Drop me off here."

"Come on, I can't drop you off on the street looking like that."

"So, drop me off at the corner, the sidewalk and not the street."

"You know what I mean."

"I don't think I do, enlighten me."

"Dropping you off at a corner, late at night, people might think you're open for business."

Lorelai scoffed, "Here in Stars Hollow? Everyone is in bed by nine, that's when the 24-hour pharmacy closes. The biggest scandal we had lately is when Taylor insisted that all the coupons to his store had expired when people started using too many. They weren't even great coupons. I'm a big girl, just drop me off, I'll be fine."

Jason slowed the car down, "Here?" he asked. When Lorelai nodded, he stopped the car and peeked out the window. "I thought you weren't hungry."

"White lie," Lorelai dismissed, reaching for and then undoing her seat belt. She sighed, trying to find a way to explain tonight. "Listen Jason, I'm sure you're a great guy and all but..."

"Evident by the number of bouquets and boxes of candy that I picked out especially for you," Jason chimed in.

Lorelai gave him a weak smile. "I loved the flowers and the candy, more the candy than the flowers because flowers look pretty and then just die, at least you can eat candy but it's just this me and you thing...I don't think this is going to work."

"Was it the restaurant? It was the restaurant, wasn't?" Jason inquired. "Because I can find us an even busier and fancier restaurant where we will have a table right in the middle of all the action. I'll find the best restaurant in Connecticut."

"You're very persistent."

"So, is that a yes? Is that a promise that I'll get to see you in that dress again, soon maybe?"'

Lorelai shook her head, "No, I'm sorry. It's still a no. You're handsome and I wish I found a tiny bit repulsive, but this," she gestured between them with her finger, "It's not going to work out. You seem like a great guy."

Jason removed his hands from the steering wheel and held them up as if to surrender. "I get it, I've heard the great guy speech before." He huffed, frustrated. "So, no chance at all for a repeat of that dress that you look so amazing in?"

"Slim to none."

He grasped at his last straw. "Your mother would hate it if you gave me a chance."

"Trust me, that I know," Lorelai replied. She blew out a breath. "That makes the idea of a date even more appealing but this isn't right. I was having a bad day, I thought some revenge dating would do the trick, and you were already there with the reservations, it all seemed to click. But this is a bad idea. We can't date."

"Not even when you're having a great day?" Jason asked. "Not even a cup of coffee?"

"I think it would be best if we stayed away from any type of date-ish activities."

Jason slumped down in his seat. "My pride is really taking a hit tonight."

"But you understand my reasoning, right?"

"I know what you've told me, I'm not sure I can say that I understand any of your reasons but I will respect your reasoning," Jason replied. He gave her a smile, as weak at is may have been. "Goodbye Lorelai Gilmore."

"Bye Digger."

In a flash, mainly because she was afraid she might waste away if she didn't get food in her body soon, Lorelai was out the door and standing on the sidewalk in front of the diner. She made a note that some lights were still on inside and the sign had not yet been flipped to closed even if the diner did look deserted before she watched Jason give her a small wave before he drove off. Feeling a little sad and just a tad bit guilty, she turned on her heel and marched up to the diner. She tried the handle and found the door unlocked, giving her the opportunity to walk right in. Her arrival was signaled by the tinkling of the bells overhead.

"We're closed."

"Closed, right. But see the sign on the door said open and at this moment, I'm choosing to believe in signs. With the day I had if you turned me away now, I might fling myself off a roof," Lorelai shouted back, unsure of his location. "The diner roof!"

A bright and genuine smile crossed her face when she spied a half-full coffee pot behind the counter. Rounding the corner of the counter, she grabbed her preferred mug and quickly filled it with the delicious beverage. "Just so you know, I'm not leaving until I have food in my belly."

Lorelai made her way back to the side of the counter that she was allowed on and slid onto a stool, her purse found a resting spot on the counter next to her mug. She lifted the mug to her lips and inhaled deeply before taking a long sip, the warmth of the beverage already providing an upside to this otherwise terrible day. She drummed her fingers on the counter-top and waited for Luke to make his reappearance. As soon as he exited the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel, she blurted out her order.

"The biggest cheeseburger you can offer me with a big, big plate of fries. Chili cheese fries if you can swing that! Please, please, please, don't tell me you turned the grill off."

"I was about to turn it off when you threatened to fling yourself off the roof," Luke informed her. "You want double cheese on that burger?"

Lorelai beamed. "That sounds heavenly!"

"Noted. I'm out of chili, so you'll have to settle for fries, no chili or cheese," he replied, eyeing the coffee cup in her hand. "You fixed your own coffee?"

"What? Me? Never," Lorelai answered, going from confused to appalled that he would ever even think such a thing. "This was here, another sign that I should definitely should have dropped by."

Luke rolled his eyes. "You said you're not leaving without that burger and fries."

Lorelai nodded eagerly. "If I don't get food in me soon, I'll perish. Then you'll have to explain to Taylor why my lifeless body is in a heap in the middle of your diner. I'm sure that would break many health code violations. Not to mention, my ghost will haunt the place."

"Coming right up."

As soon as Luke disappeared back into the kitchen, Lorelai made a move for the pie plate at the end of the counter. Instead of giving Luke even more to cleanup, she reached for a napkin and dumped a piece of apple pie onto there. With pie in hand, she made a grab for her coffee cup and walked towards the kitchen. She leaned in the doorway just enough to see Luke preparing her food, making sure that he was indeed putting double cheese on her burger. The coffee cup was set down on a counter right inside the kitchen as she began to eat the pie.

Luke looked over his shoulder, it was then he noticed how Lorelai was dressed. He couldn't stop his eyes from roaming over her body in the black dress that looked like it was made to fit just her. It hit just above the knee, exposing a delicious amount of leg that was accentuated by the heels she wore. The neckline dipped low, exposing a vase expanse of skin dotted with freckles that he had caught glimpses of in the past with her other plunging necklines. She seemed unaware that his eyes were on her, she was more focused on the pie she pilfered, and he felt like an ass for so blatantly checking her out. She was just his friend and he was a married -yet actually dating his wife- man. It took him a moment to realize that he missed whatever she said to him.

"What?" Luke asked. He turned back to preparing her food, careful not to burn anything though his concentration was skewed by mental images of her in that dress. "You're not supposed to be in the kitchen, you could get hurt. My insurance doesn't cover you."

"I'm not in the kitchen, just the doorway. Don't think I'll get harmed here," Lorelai replied, she finished off the last of the pie, crumbling up the napkin and trading it for her coffee cup. She quickly finished off the rest and set it back down. "You didn't answer my question."

"What was the question?"

"That help you hired, Brennon, are you serious about him? Were you that desperate for help that you hired the first person that walked through the door?" Lorelai questioned. "Oh no wait excuse me, did you hire the first person you found wandering the street because I'm not too sure that he could even find the door."

"I fired him this afternoon. Everyone was at Weston's avoiding the diner like they would catch the plague. I left the diner in his hands and when I came back he was dancing and singing on the table so I fired him."

"Don't forget about the butt napkins."

"That too."

"I'm sure you'll find some help soon, capable help. Someone that can actually take an order and not just walk away when it gets too complicated. I can pass along that you're looking for help if you want me to," Lorelai offered.

"You don't have to do that."

"Well I know that I don't have to but I want to," Lorelai replied. She gave a shrug of her shoulders, "I mean it's not a big deal, you need my help. I may know people. All simple really."

Luke turned around just long enough to give her a hint of a smile, more than she ever really saw for him. "That would be great, thanks. You can go back out there; your food is almost ready."

Wordlessly, Lorelai grabbed her now empty coffee cup and headed back into the diner. She reached her stool and once again took a seat while she waited for Luke. Smiling, she remembered the fun flask tucked away in her purse and quickly retrieved it, popping off the lid and taking a sip just as Luke walked out of the kitchen with not one, not two, but three plates.

Lorelai carefully set the flask down beside her. "Is all that mine? Because I know I only asked for one burger and some fries but with how hungry I am, I could definitely eat all of that right now."

"You wanted, and I repeat, a big, big plate of fries," Luke said as he set the plates down on the counter revealing that one held nothing but a burger with double cheese while one was piled high with fries. "I didn't think they would both fit on the same plate."

"Oh, you thought well my friend," Lorelai complimented, swiping a few fries off the plate and shoving them in her mouth as soon as it appeared in front of her. "So good," she moaned in appreciation.

Luke cleared his throat, pretending not to hear the sound that she just made that sounded more like a sound reserved for the bedroom. The third plate, his plate, joined her two on the countertop and he shook his head at the grimace that appeared on her face at the sight on the salad he had prepared for himself.

"Don't make a face," Luke said before she could say anything. "This is my plate. With the dinner rush, I didn't get a chance to eat."

She shoved another fry in her mouth. "I'm just surprised there's a burger on that plate too."

"With a salad, it's all about balance."

"Mhm," Lorelai hummed through a mouthful of cheeseburger. She swallowed before replying. "I know about balance. Mine is the lettuce and tomato you put on the burger."

He pulled up on a stool on the opposite side of the counter of her and dug into his own food, trying desperately to ignore the little sounds of appreciation she made while enjoying her own dinner.

She picked up a fry from her plate and offered it to him as he sat across from her. "Want a fry?"

He stabbed at a grape tomato in his salad. "Want a tomato?"

Surprising him, she leaned across the counter and slid the tomato off the fork with her mouth. Then, as she chewed, she offered the fry back up. "Your turn."

He chuckled and took the offered fry, popping it into his mouth at her amusement.

Now that her plate of fries was half-gone and the cheeseburger was missing a few bites, she reached for her purse and retrieved the fun flask. She lifted it to her lips and took a long sip. The cheeseburger and fries were doing their job and soothing the wounds of her terrible day.

"You carry a flask now?"

"Hmm?" Lorelai mused, she brought the flask down from her lips and left the cap off since it was easier. "Oh this. This is the fun flask. I swiped it from my parents at the game earlier. Want some?"

He shook his head. "How was the game?" He backtracked when the look Lorelai gave him warned him about daring to even tread there. "Forget I asked."

"Good man." Lorelai focused back on her now half-eaten cheeseburger and dwindling plate of fries. She chewed thoughtfully before adding on, "I didn't even make it to the game. I tailgated, fought with my parents, and then bolted out of there."

Luke nodded, "Right." He took in her appearance again, she definitely did not just bolt from a game. He ducked his head, pretending that he was interested in his own burger but really he couldn't make eye contact with her now. "So...uh...you look...um...you didn't go the game dressed that like, did you?"

And he cursed himself for sounding like an idiot, but at least he was still focused on his burger and couldn't see the inane look Lorelai was sure to be giving him.

"No, but I did wear the wrong colors." She pushed around the fries on her plate, not in the same rush to eat them as she was before. "If you must know why I'm in a little black dress and look extra fabulous tonight, I...um...I had a date."

She never talked to Luke about dating. Well they never really talked to each other about dating. And when they did, there was always some kind of tension. She couldn't put her finger on it but when it came to Luke, to bring up when she had a date or had started dating was just strange. Dating wasn't something they talked about. That's the reason her voice faltered and she found it hard to actually get out the words. Especially the next words that ended up really being more of a ramble than a coherent sentence.

"It didn't go well, not that you're interested in knowing how my date went or anything because it's fine if you're not interested...you don't have to know all the details. I mean, you know, sometimes you go on a date and it just doesn't work out. No big deal."

Lorelai shut herself up by picking up her cheeseburger and taking a bigger than normal bite. She didn't dare look up at Luke to see if he had stopped focusing on his own food to look at her. She knew that if he was, he was probably wearing that stupid little smirk he wore whenever she embarrassed herself in the diner. She could know add humiliation to her list of the peculiarities of the day that made it one of the worst in a while.

"What happened?" Luke found himself asking even though he had no intention of learning the details of her date. He told himself that he wasn't jealous, he had a wife after all. He was just indulging her because she liked to talk, especially about herself.

Lorelai blew out a breath. "He took me to this restaurant and we had a private secluded room away from all the action. Two people eating all alone in a restaurant, it was just weird and uncomfortable. Too quiet. So, we left and I found out that he didn't like Mexican food and here I am."

"Yeah, that's always a deal-breaker."

She shrugged her shoulders. "It wouldn't have worked out anyways, he is my dad's business partner. I kind of only accepted his invitation as revenge on my parents, mainly my mother, over what happened today."

"Want to talk about that?"

"Not really," Lorelai answered. "Just the usual. Something happens and whether it is or isn't my fault isn't up for discussion because it's always my fault. I might skip a Friday night dinner or two but then things will be back to normal. Or as normal as we get."

Luke nodded his head. "You done?" He asked with a gesture to her plate.

Lorelai looked down at the burger that was really just remnants now of what it was before. She still had some fries left but her taste buds wanted something else. She eyed the pie plate. "Can I have the rest of the pie to-go?"

"I was just going to throw it out anyways. Give me a minute."

Before he grabbed their combined three plates to carry them to the kitchen, he boxed up the rest of the pie in a to-go box and laid in down in front of her. While he was in the kitchen, Lorelai dug through her purse for payment. She was cutting back on her eating out as her expenses were being drawn into the Dragonfly but she could still swing some diner visits, it would just mean that her other eating out would have to be cut back. Just as she was about to lay a few bills down on the counter, Luke came out of the kitchen.

"It's on the house," Luke waved her off, gesturing for her to put the money back into her purse. "Sounds like you had a rough day, don't worry about it. We're closed anyways."

Lorelai smiled at him for a few seconds before speaking. "You're a terrific fellow Luke Danes."

"You probably say that to all the men that feed you."

"Oh, but I only mean it with you," Lorelai quipped. She pulled her purse off of the counter and slid it up to her shoulder while making a grab for her to-go box. "Thanks Luke. See you tomorrow."

"Wait," Luke called after her when she turned to walk away. "I'll take you home."

Lorelai shook her head. "You don't have to do that. I'll be fine. I'm a big girl, I can walk home by myself."

"It's late and it's dark. I'll take you home, it's no big deal."

"Trying to protect me from the mean streets of Stars Hollow?" she asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"You never know when Kirk will have one of his night terrors." When Lorelai didn't take the chance to argue, he figured that she agreed with him. "Should we walk or do you want me to get my truck?

She remembered the nip in the air as she waited for Jason to drive away before she could seek comfort in her safe haven of a diner. "Truck, it's a little cool out."

"Give me a minute." With that Luke disappeared upstairs only to reappear mere seconds later with his keys in hand. "Let's go."

Outside, he led Lorelai around to the alleyway behind the diner where his truck was parked. He surprised her when he opened the passenger side door for her before making his way around to the driver's side and sliding in. She watched him carefully as he started to drive away and begin the very short trek to her house. While she did so, she tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in her gut telling her that this wasn't a date. Of course, it wasn't a date. He was just providing her with what she asked for. Dirty, she thought. But, no, this was Luke and it was ridiculous to think this could be a date. He had a wife after all. Then again, why did she feel like adding disappointment to her list of peculiarities of the ways this day could have went wrong.

Before she knew it, Luke was pulling up in front of her house and asking her if she was okay since she didn't utter a single word for the entire drive. The longest time he had ever heard her go without talking. She just gave a shake of her head, as if that would clear out the crazy thoughts running through her mind.

"I bothered you enough tonight, thought you might appreciate the quiet," Lorelai replied. She gathered her things, including the leftover pie from the diner. "Thanks again."

Just like her first exit from a car tonight, it was swift and over in a flash where she found herself standing on one of the steps of her porch facing Luke's truck. She stood there until he backed away, giving him a smile and a wave when he gave her the latter. Turning towards her house, she left out a breath she didn't know she was holding and convinced herself that the gnawing feeling in her gut she still felt was just a craving for pie. And that the crazy thoughts that still ran through her head were that of a sleep-deprived woman who had experienced the worst of days in a while so her brain was compensating with overly weird thoughts.

Now she just needed her bed.

And pie.

And the rest of the fun flask.

As always, reviews are appreciated.