A/N: I wrote the majority of this a while back, but just re-discovered it today. This can be at whatever time you like, as long as Luke and Lorelai haven't gotten together romantically yet. So use your imaginations, people! Yes, it is sad… But no, it's not a one-shot! You're surprised, huh?

Disclaimer: They're not mine, even though I want them to be.

Dedication: This one goes out to J.Stone, who gave me a lot of praise and encouragement as well as honest and well-meant criticism. He's the reason I'm writing this multi-chaptered story. Thanks so, so much for your thoughts. They mean a lot!

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"Just… stay until I fall asleep."

-Maggie, 'City of Angels'

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Rory was gone.

Her sweet, baby girl, was gone.

It had been a day like any other when the phone shrill ring echoed through the house. She only remembered one sentence of the conversation.

"There's been an accident."

She could remember wondering how the man could sound so calm. Her daughter was dead, and they made it seem like it didn't matter. Like they just wanted to get the call over with so they could go home and eat dinner. It infuriated her, and she slammed the phone down.

Before the tears could come, she called her parents. She shakily recounted the story and asked them to plan the funeral. She knew she could never do it, and she knew they would accept. They owed her. She'd planned Gran's funeral.

Of course they'd do it, they said. Anything for Rory.

Once she'd hung up, she'd no longer had to sound composed. She wobbled over to the couch, hardly able to keep her balance. After flopping facedown onto the familiar lumpy surface, she let the tears come. She couldn't keep them in any longer.

And there she stayed for two days. Never eating. Barely sleeping. Just lying, thinking, and crying. When she finally fell into a decent sleep, a sharp knocking at the door awoke her. She glanced at a clock. It was ten. Who the hell was knocking on her door at ten o'clock at night?

Lorelai stood to answer the door, and immediately became dizzy. She steadied herself on the arm of the couch. Suddenly she realized how hungry she was. She pushed this thought aside, wiped her eyes, and went to the door.

Lorelai pulled it open, and there was Luke. He took in her red-rimmed eyes and bedraggled appearance and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, and this question brought everything back. She began to sob again.

Luke put a comforting arm around her waist and led her to the couch to sit. She lowered herself onto it, and then put her face in her hands. He moved his arm to around her shoulder.

"Lorelai, what's wrong?" he repeated. He was worried.

"Rory…" she managed to choke out between sobs.

"What happened to Rory?" Luke asked, panic now creeping into his voice.

Lorelai leaned into his shoulder, her tears leaving a wet patch on his shirt. She mumbled her answer into the flannel. All that Luke understood was 'gone', 'accident', and a word that may have been the first half of 'hospital'. He pieced everything together and wanted to cry himself. But he kept it together. Lorelai needed him right now.

Luke sat with her until the tears stopped. He then inquired as to when she last ate. She told him she couldn't remember. He took her into the kitchen with the intention of cooking her a meal.

As she sat at the table, he looked through her pantry and refrigerator. All he could find was a half-full carton of eggs.

"Don't you have any real food?" he asked.

"I guess I haven't been to Doose's in awhile."

Luke cooked her some eggs and returned the rest to the refrigerator. They sat across the table from each other in silence as Lorelai ate.

Lorelai paused between bites. "Why did you come? I mean, there was no way you could've known…" she trailed off.

"I didn't. I just figured… I mean, you hadn't been to the diner in a couple days, so I called Sookie. She said you hadn't been to work either. I figured something was up, so I came over here."

She smiled, touched by his concern. "You know me so well."

At this he just nodded. Lorelai took her time finishing her meal. Luke cleared her plate and walked her upstairs, insisting that she get some sleep.

As she snuggled down under the sheets, he turned to leave, flipping off the lights on his way out. She called out to him just as the door had clicked shut. He swung the door open again, sticking his head into her room. "Yeah?"

"Could you…" she was immediately embarrassed, but she'd already begun. She couldn't stop now. "Could you… stay until I fall asleep? Please?" she added.

Luke nodded. "Sure." He then leaned awkwardly against the doorframe.

Upon seeing this, Lorelai laughed for the first time since she'd gotten the news. The noise sounded awkward as it broke through the silence. She patted the bed next to her. "I don't have cooties." She joked.

Somewhat surprised at this invitation, he slowly removed his boots and sat on the bed next to Lorelai, leaning his back against the wall.

"I can't believe she's gone…" Lorelai whispered after a few moments of silence.

"I know." He whispered back to her.

"How can I go on without her?" Lorelai's voice cracked.

"Shhh." He comforted. "It'll be okay." Luke lowered himself down next to her and held her close to his chest as she sobbed. "It'll be okay."

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Luke awoke the next morning, slightly disoriented. He looked around for a moment before discovering he was at Lorelai's house. In her bedroom, no less.

He felt something move next to him. Looking over, he realized Lorelai was curled up next to him, asleep. He took a deep breath. It had to be a dream.

After taking a closer look at Lorelai, he noticed her tear-stained cheeks and the still-damp spot on his shirt.

Suddenly, he remembered.

His eyes watered at the memory. Rory… He hurriedly pushed this aside. Lorelai was his priority right now. She needed his help.

But what was he supposed to do?

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To Be Continued…

The rest of this story is in no way planned out. So suggestions, etc. are always welcomed and appreciated.

Please review!