TITLE: Back For Good

SUMMERY: About a month after her marriage breaks down, Lorelai's still not back to her old self. All it takes is one visit from a special friend to set the wheels in motion, and for her to attempt to get her life back on track. LL down the line…

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, seriously.

A/N: I couldn't help myself, I just had to skip everything that I haven't seen and go strait to the end. So, I if I might have some points wrong, let me know. I'm only going by what I've read. (seriously, Lorelai and Luke have only broken once in Australia.)

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Chapter 1

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She wandered around the quiet house not quiet knowing what to do with herself. She had been there on her own plenty of times before; after all, Rory had been at college for the past couple of years. But this was different. It was a sad and lonely quiet. The kind of quiet that kills people on the inside. And for Lorelai Gilmore, that was the kind of quiet she found herself in.

For months, since they had gotten back from Paris, a little girl had been running around the house. But now that little girl was gone. And her father. And even Lorelai's little girl had gone. But that was different, Rory had grown up. Soon, Rory would be off to find her own adventures.

And Lorelai would be on her own, really on her own, for the first time in her life.

She plonked down on the couch, deciding that maybe she could watch one of their many movies again, when a loud rapping could be heard. Sighing, she pulled herself up off the couch and pulled the door open. "Luke?" she asked, stunned by his presence.

He nodded and smiled. "One and only. I noticed you hadn't been in the diner today, so I thought I come by with some coffee and brownies." He said, holding up a take-away cup and a brown bag.

Lorelai smiled thankfully and stepped out of the way of the door so he could enter.

He followed her to the kitchen awkwardly. This had nearly been his home. He had nearly lived here, with her. And Rory. And it was quiet. Way quieter than any other time he had been there. And Lorelai looked really sad, when he finally looked at her properly.

"Lorelai?" he asked quietly, setting the bag and cup down on the table.

Lorelai turned, and the pain was evident in her eyes, even though she tried to cover it up with a bright smile. "Yeah, Luke?"

Hey hesitated, not really knowing if he wanted to hear all about her break-up with Christopher. "Are you… are you okay?" he asked quietly, sitting across from her at the table.

He saw her smile falter, and the pain in her eyes grow, if it were possible. He hated seeing her like this, it wasn't her. Sitting there, it suddenly occurred to him that if he walked into her garage, he would probably find the pod and the real Lorelai. And he smiled inwardly, thinking it was her that had first said it to him.

Lorelai nodded, sighed, nodded a couple more times, then shook her head. She couldn't lie to Luke. Not her Luke. "No." she whispered, playing with the folded top of the brown brownie bag.

Luke opened his mouth and closed it again. He moved the blue cap he was once again wearing, and bit the bullet. "Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked.

Lorelai looked up at him and he could see the tears forming. "Really?" she whispered. "'Cause I totally understand if you, of all people, don't want to listen to me bitch about my ex, who I happened to cheat on you with, kinda. Or not kinda, I'm not sure how this goes."

Luke watched her, a half amused expression on his face as she babbled. It reminded him of all the times she had spoken to him, before everything that happened. It made him feel like, maybe, just maybe, they still had a slim chance. "Its okay, Lorelai. I asked. I wouldn't ask if I didn't want you to talk. And I know how much you can talk."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. She took a deep breath, "it was just all wrong." She said as she exhaled. "Everything. Paris, Christopher, me. Even poor little Gigi was wrong, and she didn't do anything. She just got caught in the crossfire."

"What was wrong?" asked Luke, gently placing his fingertips on her fingertips. Lorelai looked at his hand in surprise, and smiled slightly as a warm feeling washed over her.

"Everything. I mean, I tried. I really tried. But it was too hard. I wanted so much for him to be the one, so much. He's my kid's father. He should be the one, right? But he wasn't, he isn't. Sookie asked me if there was no Luke – like, if we didn't have a history, or if we didn't see each other at your diner everyday – would Chris have been the one? And the more I thought about it, the more I realized he wasn't. With or without our history, I just… I could never imagine marrying someone like him. I mean, obviously I did, but you know? If I hadn't… fallen in love with you, I would have found some other way for Chris and I to fall apart. I don't know how, but it seems to be that I am pretty good at the falling apart part, and not so good at the staying together part. Chris is everything I ran away from. He's the 'perfect' choice, apparently. I mean, mom and dad – God! I forgot all about them – they said that Chris and I were perfect for each other. I should have known then. I should have known when I was sixteen and mom and dad said the three of us – me, Chris and Rory – would make the perfect little family. I mean, urgh! Who wants to be perfect? I know I act like I'm perfect, but, boy oh boy, if you only knew how screwed up I am."

She paused and looked over at him for the first time since she started talking. She knew, just by looking up, that his eyes hadn't left her face the whole time she had been talking. The warm feeling washed over her again. And the feeling of another chance swam through another person.

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"So, I'll see you at the diner in the morning?" asked Luke about an hour or so later.

Lorelai nodded. "Yep. I still have to ride my bike, though. Gypsy hasn't finished changing the motors over yet." She added at his slightly confused face.

Luke nodded. "Of course. And that riding will probably do you some good, anyway. After all the junk you eat."

Lorelai gave him a mock angry look, and for the first time in a long time, she felt like things were back to normal. Well, as normal as they could be, but definitely more normal than the first time she had been to the diner since their second break-up.

They stood at the doorway, not quiet knowing what to do. Do they hug, do they just wave goodbye? What? She could remember the times before they got together that they would wave and she would look on in longing as he walked away. So maybe they should hug? She took a tentative step forward, and Luke did the same. They met half way and the hug was quick, but not too awkward.

She stepped back and flicked a piece of hair off her forehead and smiled. "Night, Luke." She whispered.

Luke nodded. "Night, Lorelai." He replied. He waved quickly, and walked backwards down the stairs, their eyes still connected. He jumped into his truck and started the engine. He waved again, and pulled out into the street.

Lorelai waved and hugged herself tightly. She still loved Luke, she knew that. She had never stopped, not even when she was with Christopher. Not really. She pushed the feelings into a box in her mind and tried to concentrate on Chris, and Gigi, but she couldn't.

Luke was her Jackson, her Logan. Her every male that was meant for a specific female. He was Romeo to her Juliet, though, minus all the suicide and death and stuff.

As she watched him drive away, she realized that she would have one more chance to get it right with him. And she wasn't going to let it go.

So, what did you think? This is my third go at a LL fic, so I should be getting better. Oh, and can you guess where the name of the story comes from? I'm aiming for at least five reviews a chapter. I'll still post if I don't get them, but it owuld be rather nice to get those five reviews... Oh, and I'll post as often as possible, but with four other people in my house who would like to use the internet, it sometimes gets a bit difficult...