Hey everyone, I know I said I wouldn't start another story until I had completed my others stories but I am a compulsive liar like Luke :-) I have tried a new style of writing in this story so please let me know what you think. If it's bad I would much rather change it. This was difficult to write in 2 senses. One I battled with the style and secondly I found it very difficult to write a fic where Luke and Lorelai aren't happy. I just had to write it though so please forgive me.

Summary: this story is inspired by a song I heard from Simon Webbe called 'After all this time,' the first chapter starts on the 27th of May 2006. The basic idea behind the story is, what would happen if Luke and Lorelai's relationship started to suffer because of the addition of Anna and April.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, just the idea.

Saturday – Gilmore house

Lorelai had never felt this naked in her life. How could it be that one tiny inanimate object could become such a part of her every day apparel that now that it was gone, she felt so bare. She felt empty.

As she lay there in her bed, surrounded by boxes and clothes, she played back everything that led her to this moment. Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar missed sound of Luke ascending the stairs. She froze up not knowing what to do. She didn't want him there; she didn't want him to see her like this. But it was to late; he was standing in her bedroom doorway staring at her. He couldn't help but think she looked lifeless. At that moment, if it was at all possible, they could both hear their hearts break just that bit more. Yes, it had been only 2 days since they last saw each other or spoke those gut-wrenching words to each other, but the pain was still evident on both their faces.

'What are you doing here?' Luke asked. His voice was filled with anger.

'Excuse me?' Lorelai asked in an unusually low, husky voice.

'You said you would be at work and that I was to pick up my stuff today'

'I should have said the afternoon. I am only working in the afternoon'

'It is afternoon, I just finished the lunch rush'

Lorelai sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed. She took in Luke's features. He looked angry and disappointed but other than that, he didn't look any different. How come he wasn't as broken up as she was, why wasn't he a wreck. Almost as if he read her thoughts, Luke spoke voicing his own concerns.

'You shouldn't get to sit in bed and feel sorry for yourself' Luke's voice was harsh and took Lorelai by shock. He continued, 'this is all your doing'

'What! Do you think I wanted our relationship to fall apart? Do you think I wanted something else in my life to fail?'

'As much as you may feel the world owes you something and that everything revolves around dear Lorelai, you have to realise this thing, this thing affected me. It affected Rory and April' Lorelai scoffed when she heard Aprils name mentioned. 'But we all had to get on with our lives. We all had to get up yesterday and some of us today, and get back to our lives. You should have done the same'

'I tried, I tried but part of my life has always been to come to Luke's and get coffee and breakfast. Part of my life was to talk to you and Rory. I'm sorry if I didn't get up, but honestly I didn't know how.' Lorelai was on the verge of tears. 'Rory hasn't spoken to me since Thursday, she has taken your side in all of this'

'There are no sides Lorelai, you made a decision that Rory just doesn't agree with, that I don't agree with but you know what, deal with it!' Luke practically screamed at her.

'I don't know how' Lorelai stated in a very sombre tone

The room fell into complete silence. Luke continued to stand in the door way and Lorelai stayed sitting on the side of the bed, absently playing with the drawstrings on her shorts. The tension was broken when they heard the phone ring downstairs. From where they were, they could here the message being left.

Why hello and thank you for calling the Gilmore household, no correction, the Gilmore Danes soon to be just Danes household. If you are wanting to speak to Luke, Rory, Paul Anka, or myself then please leave us a message as we are unavailable. To all of you who are used to a much wackier message please blame Luke, his is a stickler for some normality in his home. Well here comes the beep, get ready'

'Hey Lorelai its Sookie, you were supposed to be at work almost an hour ago. Maybe you are on your way, I don't know. Ooohhh maybe you are just getting some dirty stuff done with Luke. Well if you are then don't rush to work, just enjoy, you crazy lovers. Bye'

Lorelai lifted her head and caught Luke's gaze.

'I haven't spoken to Sookie about all of this yet, well I haven't spoken to anyone, so unless you have said something, then nobody knows.' Lorelai said in a monotone voice.

'I haven't said anything to anyone other than to April when she asked where you were yesterday' Luke's voice matching Lorelai's

'Okay, well um… I packed most of your stuff up in boxes, I didn't touch your clothes just cause I know you would want them folded and I don't do folding' Lorelai spoke gesturing to the boxes that surrounded her room. When her gaze landed on the box by Luke's feet she paused. 'That box has some stuff of ours, of yours that I would like to keep, to put in my Luke box, so will you look through it and take out what you don't want me to have.'

'You can have all of it I don't care'

'You haven't even looked, please just look'

'I don't need to; I don't want any of this. This is all just going to be some great reminder of how we are not a couple anymore, and how once again I find myself alone. I never thought I would be alone again'

'You have April and Anna'

'Oh come on Lorelai, yes that is my daughter and ex, but I would be naïve to think they could ever fill the void that you have left in my life.

'I'm sorry' the tears were making their way down Lorelai's face.

'I don't want your apologies, I just want the pain to go away.'

Luke walked slowly over to where Lorelai was still sitting and knelt down in front of her knees. Placing a hand on each kneecap, he tried to capture her gaze again but it was focused strongly on the areas where their flesh was in contact. She didn't want to admit it, but she missed even the smallest gestures from him.

'Lorelai…' Luke began to speak but was cut off by Lorelai

'I need to get ready from work'

'We need to talk' Luke said almost pleading with her.

'We spoke the other night, we aired everything then'

'No we didn't, otherwise I would understand why you are doing this'

'I told you'

'No you told me some crap story, followed by how much you love me. I need more than that Lorelai. If this is it for us then I need more from you'

'I just cant be in this relationship anymore Luke, my heart is so sore right now. It is breaking so much'

'What and you don't think mine is. Come on Lorelai! Please lets go away or do something special together. Lets just talk please'

'I am done with this Luke, I am done with us'

Lorelai got up pushing her way past Luke. She though she was free when she felt his hand grab hers. He managed to jerk her back around to face him. Without a seconds notice, Luke pulled her close and kissed her hard on the lips. Lorelai didn't fight it and for the first while she didn't join in, but after a few moments she relaxed into his embrace and returned his kiss.

Luke slowly removed his lips from hers, never once loosening the grip he had formed around her body. Lorelai placed her face in the crook of Luke's neck as she sobbed. This was killing her, why couldn't he just let her go. When Luke had managed to calm Lorelai, he felt her lips one his neck. She placed a series of five pecks alones his neck and jaw. It was just enough to get Luke to loosen his grip on her. She slipped away. One last glance in Luke's direction was all she could manage before she ducked away down the stairs and headed out to her car. She couldn't go to work looking like she did but she couldn't stay there. She would just have to drive around a bit until she thought he would be gone. Her planned was spoiled by Luke's truck; he had parked right behind her. There was no way she was going to get out of there. She started panicking, the pain was too much. As she started off down her driveway, unaware of the ever-watching eyes of her neighbour, she heard Luke call after her.

'So you are just going to walk around in your shorts and t-shirt with no shoes, with messy hair, a make-up stained face and swollen eyes.'

'That's exactly what I will do cause you parked me in'

'Just come back inside'

'NO!'

'Lorelai this is not the time to be stubborn, just come inside and I will leave and come back later'

The idea didn't seem all that bad to Lorelai, as much as she wanted to walk and get away, she really didn't want the town bombarding her with questions. She slowly turned. The possibility of all this new gossip was too much for Babette so she rushed out onto the front lawn.

'Suga, what's the matter. What's going on here?' her voice was full of concern, but anyone that knew Babette would be able to hear the tone that was saying I am the first to get to know this new juicy gossip.

'Everything is fine Babette, you can go back inside' Luke spoke up.

'Lorelai?'

'I'm fine Babette, as Luke said you can go on back inside'

'Are you sure'?

'I'm sure'

'Okay, well suga you know where I am if you need anything'

'Thanks Babette'

'You look after her now Luke, she doesn't look to good'

'I will Babette, now Lorelai come inside before you get sick' Luke said in a voice that was saying something more along the lines of get back inside before you attract more attention.

Lorelai felt like she was being treated like a kid, or worse a mental patient. She stomped her way back up past Luke and headed towards the kitchen.

'Clear the bedroom first; I will be in Rory's room. When your done let me know.'

Lorelai picked up the phone on the way and started to dial the dragonfly's number. While Lorelai was arguing with Michel, Luke made his way upstairs. He was greeted by the box that Lorelai wanted to keep. He bent down and started looking through it.

The first thing he found was a scrapbook. He remembered when Lorelai had put it together; she had said that after almost a decade of knowing each other they should have something that showed all the great events they shared together. It was a great idea at the time, but now in the state he was in, the overload of pictures sent Luke overboard. He became suddenly angry and grabbed the first thing he saw and lunged it at the bathroom door. The new lamp that they had bought just a few months before to go with the new bedroom furniture shattered to the floor with a big noise. Luke collapsed to the floor in frustration. He didn't know what to do. How could getting to know his daughter get so out of hand and screw things up so bad.

The crash had been so loud that both Lorelai and Sookie, who was now on the phone, could here it.

'Lorelai, what the hell was that' Sookie asked in a panicked voice.

'Its just Luke, I will ex…explain later.' Lorelai said started to get choked up again.

'Lorelai?'

'Later Sookie'

'Okay….'

'I will be at work as soon as I can, I just need to freshen up'

'You don't need to come in, Michel has it covered'

'If she doesn't come in then I am going home' Michel said loud enough that Lorelai could here over the phone

'I'm coming in Sook, I need to get out of the house.'

'Well, then I will see you later'

'Thanks Sook'

Lorelai hung up the phone and laid back, resting on Rory's pillows. She looked around remembering all the years they had had here together, just the two of them. They had been happy and they would be happy again. Well as long as she could get Rory to talk to her again. All the while she was sitting there Lorelai could hear Luke making his way up and down the stairs with the boxes and loading them in the truck. She could see the truck from Rory's window, and as one box became 5 became a dozen, her heart finally snapped. She felt so numb. It was over. She could only imagine what the town had been told by Babette, it was a great of them to stay away she thought.

When the last box of the stuff that had been boxed already had been loaded onto the bed of his truck, Luke made his way into Rory's room.

'The stuff is loaded, I will come back and pack the rest later when you are at work'

'Thanks'

Luke turned to leave but before he did, he had one last thing to say to Lorelai.

'I went through the box upstairs, you can keep it all that's fine'

'Thanks'

'You might want to add this to it' Luke took the engagement ring out of his pocket and set it down on the desk where Lorelai could see it.

'No Luke, that's yours. You should keep it'

'I have no use for the ring Lorelai; it was bought as a symbol of my love for you. Nothing about that has changed. You should keep it'

'I don't want it' Lorelai said, the pain welling in her chest again.

'Then donate it, I don't care anymore'

'Luke?'

'We will be ok one day Lorelai, I hope so anyway'

'I'm sorry'

'Me too'

Luke left leaving a very pale, sickened Lorelai in his wake.

Well that is chapter one, I am so sorry that it ended there but I am being kicked off the computer and I really wanted to post it tonight so I had to finish up. I hope you all like it even though it's not a happy fic. I know some explanations been left out as to how they ended up like this, don't worry; it will come in another chapter. Please review and tell me HONESTLY what you think, I need to know if you prefer this style of writing or my other ways.

Thanks again to all of you who read and review my story.

Ronata