Author's Note: Yeah yeah, I know this isn't a new concept, but I needed my own closure for the show after the series finale...also, I'm currently unemployed and have too much time on my hands. lol. I've tried as hard as possible to stick to the format of the show and stay as in character as possible. I also bring Rory in as much as I can but since she's out on a campaign trail it's going to be pretty Lorelai-heavy. I've written each chapter as an episode, so they're all pretty long.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

08x01

Now or Never

It was quiet. Was it usually this quiet? And empty, definitely empty. The lights…were the lights dimmer? It seemed darker. Was there a light burned out somewhere that she hadn't noticed?

She felt the steady thump in her temple signaling the need for caffeine. It had been what, three hours? Maybe four? Wow, how the hell long had she been sitting here? A better question was how long ago she was supposed to be at the inn. Sookie told her not to bother, take the day off. She needed it. But what had she done since she'd gotten home from the airport? Sitting alone in a quiet, empty, dark living room for the rest of the day would give her way too much time. Time to worry, time to think, time to miss her daughter.

She needed coffee. Big time. She hadn't even fully decided on a destination yet before a weird, bubbly sensation crept up from the pit of her stomach. Her hand immediately went up to finger the bead on the end of the necklace she was wearing. She hadn't taken it off since last night, when he'd clasped the delicate chain around her neck.

She took a deep breath; It's now or never, she thought. She hopped up from the sofa, sending Paul Anka skittering into the corner with fright. The sudden burst of energy shocked her, considering the lack of sleep she'd had and the ungodly hour she had to get out of bed. She swiped her keys up from where she'd dropped them next to the phone hours before, swung her purse over her shoulder, and left through the front door before she had time to talk herself out of going.

"LORELAI!" Babette's wailing was so not cool right now. The throbbing in her head increased, but she turned her head towards her neighbor's porch and smiled.

"Hey Babette," she called. Please stay on the porch. Please.

"How's Rory doin', Sugar? She left is morning?"

"Yeah." She plastered on a fake grin. "On the plane to Iowa now."

"Oh, well Honey, next time you see her, tell her me an' Maury are wishin' her the best!" Babette took a sip of what Lorelai assumed was a mid-afternoon cocktail, and snuck away while she called into the house: "MAURY! Rory's on the plane to Iowa! Bless her heart…"

Lorelai took her time, taking in the sights of the town but at the same time, not taking any of it in at all. Everyone was going about their day, a normal Tuesday. The hustle and bustle of lunchtime was just starting to die down, which didn't make it any easier for her to stall.

Once that little yellow sign came into view, she slowed her pace, resulting in almost stopping in the middle of the crosswalk. The diner didn't seem to be all that busy, from what she could see through the window. Caesar and one of the other servers were chatting by the kitchen. Maybe I should just go to Weston's. I'm sure they're about to pick up again, I don't wanna take up any space. The second the thought floated through her mind, the door opened and a group of four exited through it, followed by another group of two. She bit her lip, excuses running through her brain, each one more absurd than the last. Finally, after meandering across the street and down the sidewalk towards the door, about to just forget about it and head home, she felt it. On her shoulder, a single drop of rain. "God dammit," she muttered under her breath. She'd left her umbrella at home...she had no choice. She took a deep breath, allowed a few more drops to land on her arm, and pushed the door open.

The ding of the doorbell sent another wave of bubbles through her, emphasizing her desperation for a cup of coffee. She slid onto a stool at the counter. Her foot jiggled nervously. She fiddled with her cell phone, spinning it around in her hands, waiting. For what, she wasn't really sure. She didn't know what to do next.

She saw a figure appear out of the corner of her eyes. They flitted upwards and immediately dropped her phone. It smashed onto the counter, snapped open, and spun across the surface, knocking into a salt shaker and disappearing over the edge. The lid of the shaker flew off when it hit the countertop, spewing salt everywhere, while at the same time she heard a loud crack against ceramic. After the cap had rolled off and joined her phone on the floor, Lorelai chomped down on her lip and glanced back up. Luke had one eyebrow raised, and although he rolled his eyes as he bent down to clean up her mess, she saw the corner of his mouth twitch upwards.

"Ha. Uhm. Hello. Hi," she stammered, when he reappeared with her phone in hand. He set it down in front of her and reached for the towel that had been thrown over his shoulder. She watched him carefully while he swept the mountain of salt into his hand, and dumped it into the trash underneath the counter.

"If you're done damaging my property," he grumbled, flipping over a coffee cup. He reached around for the freshly brewed pot and filled the mug up to the brim without even asking.

"Thanks," Lorelai mumbled under her breath. She stared down into the steaming liquid, foot still shaking up and down, willing herself not to look up at him again. She didn't need to be covered with coffee and salt.

"How's Rory, she make it on the plane okay?" Luke asked, after an awkward few seconds of silence.

"Yeah, uh, yep. She did." She brought the mug up to her lips and took a sip, sneaking a glance up at him. He didn't notice, as he was screwing the little metal cap back on the now half-empty salt shaker. He didn't shave this morning, she could tell.

"And how are you?" he asked carefully. She could feel his eyes on her again. She distracted herself by taking another drink, this time gulping down way too much. She could feel it burning all the way down her throat. She finally sucked it up and gave a real, hard look.

"Ah, I'm fine, yeah." She shrugged, gulping when his blue eyes met hers. Wait, was that a sparkle? Like an actual, cheesy, cartoon sparkle? She tried to avert her gaze, but the remained fixated on him. He sighed.

"Lorelai…" he started tenderly; she could see his hand sliding across the counter, and when it was an inch away from hers, she moved it back just slightly. His stopped.

"I promise, Luke, I'm fine." She grabbed her coffee cup again as an excuse to keep her hand to herself. The doorbell rang out again and Luke let out a very audible, "Ugh," when he noticed Taylor occupy a stool a few seats down from Lorelai. He pulled his notepad out of his shirt pocket, but before he could ask Taylor what he wanted, Lorelai was spotted.

"Looorelai!" He half-shouted, moving over a stool. "How's Rory!?"

"Should we just call a town meeting?" Lorelai snapped, earning her a half-confused, half-offended glare. Luke himself was taken aback, but still gave her a sly, proud smile. Taylor turned back to Luke in a huff and rambled off his order. Lorelai lifted her mug to drain the rest of her coffee when a shrill ringing came from the cell phone that was still in the same spot Luke had left it. He immediately turned to her and pointed to the door.

"NO."

"Luke, it's pour- Rory!" Her heart leapt and she flipped it open so fast she was impressed with the fact that it didn't actually break it in half. "Hey, kid!" Luke rolled his eyes, walked over to the stairs, and pulled the curtain back. Lorelai scurried through it and was halfway up the stairs before Rory had the chance to reply.

"Hi Mom!" She replied.

"How's Iowa?"

"It's…Iowa."

"Sounds thrilling."

Rory launched immediately into a story about a woman on the plane who had one or five cocktails too many, followed by a lengthy explanation of the bus she'd be living on for the next several months. Lorelai was silent, leaning against the wall, staring at the closed door across the hall from her. The sight of it triggered a memory, from just the night before. Her back against it, hot breath against her neck, before it was pushed open, his arms around her keeping her from falling backwards…

"Helloooooo," Rory called over the other line. Lorelai was jolted back to the present, and tried to ignore how hard her heart was pounding against her chest. "Earth to Lorelai."

"Yeah, uh, I'm here, yeah."

"Mom…?" She could hear Rory chuckle quietly. "Geez, get some coffee."

"Sorry, kid. Long day."

"I can tell."

"Rory." Her voice caught in her throat, resulting in an awkward, drawn out silence.

"…yes?"

"I…"

"Burning cell minutes, here." Lorelai crossed the hall, reached for the key above the door frame, and waited until she was fully inside Luke's apartment with the door closed tightly behind her before she spoke again. Lord only knew what would happen if Taylor happened to be sitting just close enough to hear the entire conversation. Ribbons would be flying left and right.

"I slept with Luke." Rory made a noise that could only be described as a deranged squeak.

"Mom!"

"Last night."

"And you waited this long to tell me why!?" Lorelai bit her lip. "Mom…oh my god! Does this mean-"

"It doesn't mean…I don't know!" She crossed the hardwood floor and perched herself on the edge of April's polka-dot bedspread, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"How did this even happen!?"

"Well…I don't know!" she said again, fiddling with the edge of the comforter. "During the party yesterday, I'd gone to find him, and we were standing outside the diner…I just wanted to say thank you, you know? He did everything, stayed up all night tying up that tent, all for you. I was just so emotional, and overwhelmed, and…well, we kissed…"

"I can't believe you didn't tell me this last night."

"It was kinda hard to believe myself." Lorelai took a deep breath, then continued. "The next thing I knew we were up here, in his apartment, and-"

"You're there right now?" Rory interjected suggestively. Lorelai rolled her eyes, but still smiled.

"Shush, you. It's not what you think. Anyway, afterwards I kinda…bolted. I didn't want anyone to realize we were gone. The next time we saw each other was this morning for breakfast."

"Waaait wait wait…" Lorelai winced; she knew what was coming. "So you haven't even talked?"

"Uhh, possibly not?"

"Mom!"

"I know," she groaned.

"And now you're…"

"Yes, in his apartment. He shooed me when you called and it's raining so I couldn't go outside."

"So…what now?"

"Well I already made a fool of myself and the salt shaker so I'm off to a good start." There was no reply. She heard mumbling in the background. "Rory?"

"Ahh, shoot mom, I gotta go, I'm sorry. Don't think this conversation is over!"

"Alright, have fun. And remember – that winning personality I gave you wasn't just for kicks!" Rory giggled.

"Love you mom."

"Love you too, kid."

Lorelai flipped her phone shut, suddenly feeling alone again. Was she going deaf? It was quiet here too.

When Lorelai finally made her way back downstairs, Luke was too busy arguing with Taylor over the sandwich he'd given him to notice her. She caught Caesar in time to grab a refill in a to-go cup before slipping out of the door.

The pounding in her temple was still very, very present in the morning when Lorelai woke up. She slammed the snooze button on her alarm clock, groaned, and rolled over. Like clockwork (Ha, she laughed internally at herself), nine minutes later, it went off again. She smacked it again and sat up, glancing around the room groggily.

She usually tried not to take in the features of the room. It always sent her mind wandering to the long nights, arguing about paint colors and tiles for the bathroom and, after they'd donated that God-awful bedroom set, furniture catalogs. Three days before the paint crew was supposed to pick up the paint, they'd really gotten into it. She'd been holding up Sherwin William's sample cards for hours, and finally Luke had stormed in, randomly flipped to the ugliest, putrid green, declared that he was telling Tom to paint the entire house in that color, and stormed out. She followed him, and they argued all the way back to his apartment. The Purple vs. Green argument, as she had dubbed it later, was easily the worst fight they'd had over the entire period of the renovation. She wanted lavender wallpaper; he'd said "No way in hell," before suggesting an awful, very 90's forest green.

"Are you kidding me? We're trying to make this place look better, Luke."

"What, so I don't get a say in it? I just get to pay for pink walls and keep my mouth shut?"

"Oh, my God. For the last time, it's not pink, it's-"

"Will you two keep it down!?" Taylor's voice had come from nowhere in particular, echoing out over the town square, something he did often and which made Luke nervous.

Finally, after another hour of arguing in his apartment (and several more of making up), they'd decided to compromise: blue for the bedroom, Lorelai's lavender for the closet, and the yellow Luke had picked out for the downstairs.

"Ugh!" Lorelai fell back down into her pillows just as the snooze went off one more time.

The rain from the last few days had finally eased up, so she decided to walk to work. She started feeling nervous as she got closer and closer to Luke's. She'd just began eying up Weston's in the distance, when her eyes flitted past the diner. It was crowded, as per usual on any given Wednesday morning, and in the split second she'd glanced through the window, she caught his eye. He looked away immediately, but she knew he'd seen her. She huffed – there was no way she would walk by without stopping in now. And, the more she thought about it, she was really craving some pancakes and desperately needed a good cup of coffee. Weston's wouldn't cut it today.

She took her normal seat at the counter, and unlike the day before, he was waiting for her when she sat down, her favorite mug already filled to the brim with beautiful, steaming coffee.

"Thanks," she mumbled, taking a sip. When she looked back up at him, he was still standing there, regardless of how busy they were.

"Breakfast?"

"Pancakes please." She smiled politely as he started writing. She took several more gulps from her mug while he handed her order over to Caesar and came straight back. When she didn't say anything, he let out a frustrated sigh. He opened his mouth to say something when the doorbell rang. He glanced up and moaned.

"Not again!"

"Tell me about it!" came a voice behind her. Lorelai turned around and grinned hello at Jackson. "Hey…Lorelai?" He glanced curiously from her to Luke and back at her.

"What does she want now?" Luke said quickly, noticing the look on Jackson's face.

"Pancakes with chocolate chips and bacon – no, not on the side – curly fries, a cup of decaf coffee, and pickles…and those are on the side," Jackson rattled off, impressively from memory.

"Why can't she make this stuff herself?" he grumbled, as he finished writing it all down on his notepad.

"She insists she needs your food today."

"Still with the ridiculous cravings, huh?" Lorelai said, chuckling. "Man, little baby Bellville is gonna-" she stopped suddenly, eyes wide, as she noticed something on the strap of his overalls. "Oh my God, Jackson!"

"What?"

"The pin." She pointed at the giant yellow circle on his chest. "You're wearing the pin! Did she…?"

"This morning," Jackson beamed and puffed his chest out. "And I still don't want to know!"

Lorelai glanced over to Luke, who was just setting down a plate of pancakes. Before she even opened her mouth, he sighed and pulled a Styrofoam container out from under the counter. She dug out a ten from her purse and grabbed the box, along with the to-go cup of coffee Luke had just poured her, and sprinted towards the door before he even had the chance to tell her not to worry about it.

"SOOKIE!" Eric, one of the kitchen staff, was so startled from the door being slammed open that he dropped a pan loudly on the floor. Sookie looked up from the breakfast pastries she was making with a wide grin.

"It's a girl!" she squealed. Lorelai dropped her food and coffee on the counter and scurried over to her for a hug. "How'd you know!?"

"Jackson wearing that ridiculous pin," Lorelai replied. "He'd just ordered your food when I left so he probably won't be he-"

"He went to Luke's…" Sookie cut her off. Lorelai bit her lip nervously and distracted herself by flipping open the box containing her pancakes. There was a flutter in her stomach; he must have dumped half a bag of chocolate chips in them, just the way he knew she liked them. "You were at Luke's this morning? Again?"

"Uh, yeah. What's the big deal?" She grabbed a fork out of the basket of clean ones next to the sink and cut herself a piece of pancake, shoving it in her mouth so she didn't have to talk.

"It's a huge deal! You've been going there practically every morning!" Sookie exclaimed. "And Babette heard from Miss Patty who heard from Andrew who heard from Kirk that you two looked pretty friendly yesterday morning. Is there something going on with you two?"

Lorelai choked on the abnormally large bite she'd taken. Sookie raised an eyebrow at her and waited for her to finish.

"There's nothing going on!" A sly smile spread across Sookie's face. "Sookie, I swear."

"Alright everyone out!" she yelled all of a sudden. The kitchen staff stopped what they were doing, exchanged glances, and left through the door tothe dining room without questioning her. "Okay, spill."

"There's nothing to spill. I had coffee two days in a row. We're friends, what's the big – stop looking at me like that!"

"You're lying. There's totally something going on." Lorelai let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine," she mumbled. Sookie was downright giddy. "Monday night after I talked to you I went to talk to him, to say thank you, and…"

"And…!?"

"And…I may have thanked him a little…too much."

"You slept with Luke!?" Sookie squealed.

"Who slept with Luke?" came Jackson's voice behind them.

"Lorelai slept with Luke!"

"Oh, my God," Lorelai mumbled, burying her face with her hands. She was positive it was turning red.

"Lorelai, you slept with Luke!?"

"Can we stop saying that out loud? Please!?"

Sookie giggled and turned her attention back to Lorelai.

"So!? Are you guys back together then!?"

"No! And I'd rather not have this conversation…now." She tilted her head towards Jackson.

"I know, I know," he said, noticing the lack of subtlety. "I'm just here to drop this off for Sookie."

"Oh, I don't want that anymore. Pickles…eugh." She laughed lightly and Jackson looked infuriated.

The argument that suddenly sprung up between them gave Lorelai the perfect excuse to grab her food and slip out of the kitchen and into her office.

When his headlights shone on a little green Jeep, Luke sighed. "I knew it," he mumbled. She worked too damn hard. After nine and she was still probably inside sitting in that office of hers, trying to catch up everything she missed the day before.

He grabbed the flimsy paper cup out of the cup holder and made his way to the front door of the Dragonfly, trying not to talk himself out of going inside. He hesitated at the door, then pushed it open. Sure enough, she was standing at the front counter, brows furrowed, staring intensely at the computer. She didn't look up until he'd walked up to her and set the cup down on the desk, which caused her to jump. She tensed visibly when she looked up and realized who was standing in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked softly, glancing around the deserted foyer. He nodded down at the cup on the desk.

"I brought you coffee."

"You drove all the way here, at nine-thirty at night, just to bring me coffee." He stuck his hands into the pockets of his jeans nervously.

"Well when I realized you weren't home, I figured you were working late so I stopped at the diner and made a fresh pot to bring to you some."

"How did you know I wasn't-"

"Lorelai, can we please talk?" She straightened her shoulders and looked back at the computer.

"I can't. We have a wedding next weekend and I have a ton of work-"

"Well then I'm taking my coffee back."

"We have coffee here, you know," she said, rolling her eyes.

"But you like mine better."

"So?" She glanced over and must have understood the annoyed look on his face, because she sighed. "Fine. But not here."

Without another word she took off down the hall. He followed her through the kitchen and out the back door. It was a service entrance, typically busy during the day, but at this time of night it was deserted. She closed the door behind him and when she spun around to face him she said, "What do you want?"

"Don't act like you don't know what this is about."

"You wanted to talk, so talk." She crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest. Luke rolled his eyes; she was impossible.

"Fine. You've hardly said a damn word to me since the other night, and I want to know why. I thought things were going to change, I thought we were finally going to be okay. I thought…" he trailed off, not really knowing what to say. He sucked at this.

"Thought what?" she replied. He could tell she was nervous. She was chomping on her bottom lip.

"Geez…I don't know. I just hate how awkward this is. I don't want it to be like this between us."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, sighing. She pulled her cardigan tighter around her against the light breeze and crossed her arms again. "I don't really know how to act right now. The last week…"

"I know."

"I just…I don't know. So much has happened. I don't know if I'm ready to jump back into…things."

"Yeah, we did dive right in, didn't we…?" Luke reached up and rubbed his neck.

"Not my fault. I was emotional, you took advantage of me." Luke opened his mouth to protest, but he paused when their eyes met. There was the tiniest of smiles playing on her lips.

"What are you doing on Saturday?" he asked suddenly. This was not part of the plan… he thought to himself. She looked taken aback.

"Uhh, wallowing over the adulthood of my only child, why?"

"We should…I dunno. Go get dinner, or something."

"Dinner?" she replied, still looking confused.

"Yes. Dinner. And a movie."

"Really?"

"Yes. In Woodbridge. I do not have the time nor patience to deal with Taylor this week." This produced a real laugh from her.

"Okay," she said carefully. "Dinner and a movie…I can do dinner and a movie."

"Okay. Good. Great. I'll, uh…pick you up then? Seven sound good?"

"Yeah…seven, uh seven sounds great."

"Okay. Good. Well, I guess I'll see you then."

Satisfied, Luke turned towards the door.

"Luke?" He was reaching for the door handle, but before he could turn around, he heard her say, very quietly, "I missed you."

He glanced around at her. She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously, and he smiled.

"I missed you too."

"You're what!?"

"Going. On a date. With Luke."

"Mom!"

"Your squealing is giving me a headache, child."

"Sorry!" Rory let out a happy sigh. "I knew it."

"You know nothing!" Lorelai replied, exasperated. She stood up from the couch and made her way into the kitchen. "It's just dinner and a movie."

"Oooh fancy!" Rory said, giggling at her mother's growl. "So when do I get to start calling him Dad?"

"We are not even together!" Lorelai insisted. "We've barely even talked."

"Well yeah, you were too busy to talk."

"New subject!" The laughter coming from the other line was infuriating her. "Sookie's having a girl, by the way. She found out yesterday."

"Aw! Sookie!"

"Apparently they're having a hell of a time trying to pick out a name since they used them all up with Martha." Lorelai opened the fridge, surveyed the lack of food, then slammed it shut. "Arrgh."

"Everything alright over there?"

"I'm starving."

"I know where you can go."

"Shush! I am not going to…damn, I want a burger."

"Ha."

"I thought you were on my side, kid."

"I am on your side. Wanting you to be with Luke is being on your side."

"I don't wanna rush things though, you know?" She grabbed a pop tart from the box on the counter and peeled it open. When she sat down at the kitchen table, she sighed. "Am I crazy? I mean, it's Luke. My Luke. We should be able to just jump right back in. Pick up where we left off."

"I don't know…a lot has happened. You just have a lot to talk about, but I think everything will be okay. It has to be…you two are meant to be together."

"I hope you're right." Lorelai eyed the cinnamon pop tart in her hand, and took a bite. "So. Tell me about work. What's life like in the big leagues?"

Saturday came way too fast, and Lorelai was a basket of nerves. She hadn't even been this nervous for their first date, and she hadn't changed nearly as many times as she had when they'd gotten back together the first time.

She'd just decided that the dark blue dress she'd just put on for the third time wasn't right, when the doorbell rang.

"Dammit!" she muttered under her breath, spinning around to check the clock on her bedside table. It was 6:57. She gave herself one last glance in the mirror, sighed, and grabbed the cardigan she'd thrown on the bed earlier.

"I'm coming!" she called out, racing down the stairs with her shoes in one hand and purse in the other. When she whipped the door open, Luke looked momentarily frightened by the glare on her face. "You're early."

He looked at his watch.

"I'm two minutes early."

"Early is early! I need all the time I can get! Looking this good ain't easy!" Once she slipped on her shoes, she stood up straight and looked at him properly. "Hi," she said, breathlessly. He gave her a shy smile.

"You look beautiful." Lorelai could feel her face heating up.

"You don't look too bad yourself there, Mr. Danes," she replied, nervously glancing towards the door. "Should we…uh…"

"Oh, yeah. Let's go." He moved over to let her pass. She was again reminded of their first date, how he'd struggled at opening the door of his truck for her, and laughed nervously at the obvious awkwardness of it.

They'd hardly said a word the entire way to Woodbridge. Lorelai kept glancing over at him, but he kept his eyes on the road. Finally, after they'd sat down at their table at the restaurant and ordered drinks, did he look straight at her and start talking.

"Lorelai…" he took a deep breath, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "We need to talk about this."

"I know we do," she replied in a small voice, heart thumping. She was frantically trying to remember everything she'd thought of, everything she'd wanted to say to him in the last year.

"I just want you to know…nothing has changed for me. I'm still in."

Lorelai's lips curved up into a smile. Her stomach was fluttering.

"Me too," she said softly. He grinned his shy grin and looked down at the table. He fiddled with his beer bottle; she could tell he wanted to say something. "Luke…"

"We don't have to…you know, do this. Right now."

"I know." She tilted her head to the side just slightly, willing him to continue. He sighed heavily and glanced up at her for only a second before going back to the bottle.

"I just…" he hesitated. Dread started to take over. She had a feeling she knew what was coming.

"What?"

"It's…Christopher."

Lorelai took a deep breath. She was right.

"Luke, I-"

"I just need to know. Are you…still…you know-"

"No." Finally he lifted his eyes to meet hers. She took a few more deep breaths before continuing. "Look. That night…that terrible, terrible night, I was so upset, and I just…I fell apart. I didn't know what to do. Chris was always my backup, he was always just…there, you know? I wasn't thinking. We were over and I couldn't handle it. I screwed up."

"Then why did you marry him?"

"I don't know. I just…I don't know." Luke sighed, frustrated, and took a swig of his beer. "There was a void, you know? I needed someone to fill that void. And Chris was convenient. But then, I started to realize that I just wasn't happy. I love him…he's Rory's dad, and I'll always love him for that. He gave me the most incredible, beautiful thing in my life. But I'm not in love with him. He wasn't what I wanted. As much as I wanted him to be, he wasn't right. He wasn't you."

She waited, nervous, waiting for him to speak. After a long, awkward pause, he finally took a deep breath, and reached over to place his hand over her arm.

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes lifting to meet hers again. She raised an eyebrow.

"Why, did you sleep with my ex too?" He rolled his eyes, but she saw a glimmer of a laugh in them.

"I pushed you away, and it wasn't fair. And I'm sorry." Her lips curved into a smile.

"I'm sorry too."

"This is gonna work." He returned her smile.

"Yeah. All in. Right?" His smile widened and he gently squeezed her arm.

"All in."

"So much for taking it slow."

Lorelai smirked at him as she watched him pull on a pair of sweatpants and walk across his apartment.

"Aw, leaving already? Was it that bad?" He rolled his eyes.

"I'll be right back." After she heard the door snap shut, she sat up and pulled on the red flannel shirt that was laying on the floor. She smiled to herself, glancing around the room. She hadn't really looked around when she'd been in his apartment earlier in the week. Nothing had changed, really, except the few feminine touches she was sure came as a result of his teenage daughter. When she heard the door again, Luke came around the corner holding a metal tray and a couple forks. Lorelai's jaw dropped.

"Oh my God, I forgot how great it was to sleep with someone with pie downstairs." Luke rolled his eyes again and handed her the tray. Two pieces of blueberry pie were calling her name. She already had her mouth full by the time Luke had climbed back into bed and leaned up against the headboard.

"I figured I'd put it to good use, since I can't sell it tomorrow."

"Hey, no complaining here!" Lorelai took another bite, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw him watching her. She glanced over and smiled. "What?"

"I'm just…glad you're here." He gave her a small smile and rested his hand on her knee.

"Aw, Mr. Danes, such a sap," she replied softly. She took a few more bites of the pie in silence, then set the tray down. "I should…probably…"

"You don't have to…you can stay…you know, if you want."

"I do want to…" she trailed off and sighed, pouting. "But…there's kinda only one way out of here in the morning…I don't know if we should…subject ourselves to that."

"Oh." His hand slid off her knee.

"Not…yet, at least. Hey-" She ducked her head to meet his eyes, and smiled. "We're taking it slow, remember?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Is that why you're wearing my shirt?" She chuckled and smacked him lightly on the arm before standing up to get dressed.

"That was entirely your fault, mister. You offered me coffee. Coffee which I never received, by the way."

"I'd make you some in the morning if you stayed here." He stood up and pulled on a t-shirt while she slipped her heels on. "You could always sneak out the back you know."

"And take my walk of shame through downtown Stars Hollow?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'll walk you home, if you want." Luke opened the door for her and she turned to look at him as he followed her down the stairs.

"Oh, thank you! Five blocks is such a long way for a 'lil lady like me!" she gushed, flaunting her best southern accent, pushing her way through the curtain. She stopped suddenly, and Luke slammed into the back of her.

"Ow! Dammit-"

"You made me coffee!" She turned to grin at him; the smell of the freshly brewed pot filled the diner. He walked past her to the machine and poured her a to-go cup.

"I don't break promises," he replied with a sly smile. He followed her to the front door and held it open for her. "See you tomorrow?" She turned towards him in the doorway and smiled.

"First thing." She frowned for a second, rethinking. "Well, more like second or third thing. It is the day of rest, after all." Luke rolled his eyes, but still smiled.

"I'll have the pancakes ready."

"My hero!" He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, and she let him; no one was awake in Stars Hollow this late on a Saturday. The street was deserted. After they'd parted and she'd descended the steps, she turned around just before he'd closed the door. "And you better be the one to make those pancakes. Yours are so much better than Caesar's."

"I'll do my best," he called. "Night." He closed the door behind her and locked up, but gave her one more smile before she turned around and headed towards home.

The sun was actually shining the next morning, which was a welcome change to the soggy, rainy days Stars Hollow had been experiencing in the last week. Everyone seemed happier than usual. As she strolled down the street towards Luke's, more than one person smiled at her. She was about a block from the diner when something ran into her.

"LORELAI!" Tiny arms wrapped her and a mess of blonde curls covered her face.

"Uh…good morning, Babette," she said; Babette pulled away with a brilliant grin on her face.

"I'm so happy for ya Sugar!" In a flash, she was gone, babbling about having to get back to the cats. Lorelai frowned after her, bewildered, before turning back towards the diner.

When she pushed the door open, it was packed. She spotted Luke right away, practically jogging from table to table. He started towards her, balancing three plates.

"They know," he growled, as he swept past her.

"What?" She followed him to the table he was heading for. When he set the plates down in front of the people sitting at it, he spun around and started towards the counter again.

"They know," he repeated.

"Who knows?"

"Everybody."

"Everybody who?"

"Everybody." Lorelai slid into one of the only empty stools, and Luke set down a giant mug in front of her. "You'll need this."

"But how?" Luke poured coffee into the mug, and made an almost terrifying growl.

"I don't know. But it's all I've been hearing about this morning." He pointed angrily towards the part of the counter. "Babette and Patty spent the entire first part of the morning down there, going on, and on, and on about things that are none of their business. Kirk has been obnoxious all morning, and Taylor would have been infuriating even without the lecture."

"He lectured you?" Lorelai couldn't help but laugh sympathetically. "It was East Side Tillie, wasn't it?"

"Who knows, all of the people in this town are crazy, meddling, gossiping-"

"Luke, calm down," she cut him off, grinning and taking a sip of her coffee. "Why does this bother you so much? We knew this would happen."

"Because! You don't want anyone to know yet, and these people damn well better respect that! I am not letting these…these…crazy people screw this up for us. I-"

"Luke!" She chuckled, "I don't care about that, I know these people. They meddle. If everyone knows already, that just means you can kiss me good morning." She leaned forward and puckered up; he rolled his eyes, but his lips still curled into a small smile before he closed the distance between them and pressed them up against hers.

"I'll go make your pancakes." Lorelai grinned, and took a long, satisfying sip of coffee, while she watched him disappear into the kitchen. She glanced around behind her to where Miss Patty was still sitting in the corner sipping her coffee. Her eyes were wide, the arm holding her cup of tea stopping in mid-air. Lorelai turned back to her coffee, unable to hide her smile, and took another satisfying gulp of the best coffee in the world.