Summery: Set in the summer between Seasons 3 and 4. Two friends go their separate ways for the summer. Perfectly normal, right? Then, why can't they stop thinking about each other? LL

Disclaimer: I'm too tired to think of anything cute to say here. Wait, puppies are cute! For all you Veggie Tales fans…"Puppies are cuddly and puppies are cute…" And, it's not mine.

A/N: I'm baaaaaack (insert creepy little girl voice)! Well, this is just an incredibly random fic that I came up with the other night in bed. I got up, turned on the light and jotted down a few notes. Now, I have a chapter done. This is been a general curiosity of mine. What did Luke do on his cruise? What did Lorelai and Rory do while in Europe? What would happen if Luke and Lorelai can't get each other out of their heads while on their respective trips? What happens when they both return? Thus, this little fic was born. Happy Birthday, fic! I hope you all enjoy it and bear with me during the Luke and Nicole scenes. I mean, frankly, who likes to read them anyway? Get that curtain up; let's get this show on the road!

She Went to Europe, He Went on a Cruise

Chapter 1: Musings from a Deck Chair

What the hell am I doing here?

Luke audibly sighed as he sank into a deck chair waiting for Nicole. Well, he sank in as much as he could on a chair made of wood. It didn't leave for much cushioning. Luke rested his head on the wall behind him and closed his eyes. He felt a headache coming on. He should've asked Nicole to buy some aspirin, but he wasn't feeling very Miss Cleo before she left. Perhaps he packed some in his shaving kit, but he was too lazy to make the trek back to his cabin.

He was starting to think that this cruise was a bad idea. He hated vacations. First, you have to pack. Then you go through your clothes and realize you have nothing to wear for the trip in the first place. Then, you had to go shopping, which Luke also hated. Believe him when he says that his mall rant is much worse then his vacation rant. He shifted uncomfortably in his new clothes. They felt like they were starched too much. Where was his flannel when he needed it? Oh, that's right; Nicole basically banned him from bringing it. At least he had his worn blue baseball cap to be a subtle reminder of the wardrobe he left behind. Too bad he left it in the cabin, with the aspirin. Plus, it was hot. Too hot for flannel. Possibly to sweaty for a cap.

Nicole changed her mind a few weeks before; after Luke had confirmed that he wanted go, after he had the conversation with Lorelai at graduation, after the dream. Now, instead of winding their way through Canada and cruising the Alaskan coast, Nicole wanted warmth, sand, and sun. And, as Luke began to realize, Nicole always got what she wanted. Must be the only child syndrome. Lorelai and Rory had that same ability. They could weasel their way into his heart and then practically get him to do whatever their little hearts desired. Part of him hated that quality in women. The other part found it endearing in the Gilmore girls. If their eyes weren't so damn big and blue, maybe he wouldn't always give in so easily.

The Caribbean. Luke thought about pirates when he thought about the Caribbean. Must've been all that Disney indoctrinization that most kids his age had. Rum was also vaguely Caribbean. Never been a big rum fan, though. Mai Tais. He was already sick of them. Why did those dumb looking servers keep handing them to him? He wanted a beer, not some fruity attempt to be alcohol. A nice cold beer. Either those dumb asses didn't speak English or they were forced to hand out Mai Tais until the vacationers passed out drunk. Now that's a picnic. Luke only planned on getting drunk if it was absolutely necessary. That is, only if certain people or certain things got on his nerves. What was the point of putting those idiotic paper umbrellas in drinks anyway? You just take them right back out, probably litter them on the deck or toss them in the ocean for some fish to swallow. The cruise company could probably save themselves a bunch of money if they just eliminated those umbrellas. Luke remembered hearing once that an airline company saved millions of dollars just by removing one olive from every first class meal. Maybe he should mention it to someone. Not that he liked getting business advice from other people, but, hey, maybe they would like to know. Umbrellas cost money. Eliminating umbrellas from drinks equals saving money. And isn't that the goal of most corporations? Maybe they could save more money by just getting rid of the Mai Tais altogether. He couldn't be the only one who was dying for a beer. They were probably cheaper anyway. Maybe they would have beer at dinner.

"Mai Tai, sir?" One of the servers asked Luke for the umpteenth time as he approached Luke's deck chair. He had jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, since his eyes were still closed. Speak of the devil, Luke mused.

"Uh, no…thanks…Is there any chance I could get a beer?" The server smirked as if he had sized him up just by looking at him. Like he knew right away that he was not Mai Tai Murray.

"Certainly, sir. Any preferences?"

"Heineken; if you have it."

"Of course. I'll see what I can do for you at the bar."

"Great, thanks, uh…Vince," he said, picking out the servers name from the tiki hut-shaped nametag. He didn't even feel up to mocking that. Well, at least until he had a beer in his system.

"You're welcome, sir. I'll be right back." Luke sighed with relief as Vince left and resumed his position on the wall.

Since when am I this guy? When do I ski? When did I ever go see a Broadway show? When did I ever go to fancy schmancy restaurants where I don't even like the food to begin with? When did I dress up? Since when did I cut my hair so short? When did I ever leave the diner for this long? Why the hell am I doing all this for her?

These thoughts had been plaguing Luke for awhile. If he wanted to be truthful to himself, they started around the time that he had "the dream." He hated admitting it, but that dream got to him. In a way, it had creeped him out a little. It felt so real that Luke had asked Caesar if Lorelai had been in the diner that night. "Don't get engaged." Why the hell was he dreaming about Lorelai telling him to not get engaged? It wasn't like he was planning on it. God, he was far from proposing to Nicole. Sure, she was beautiful, had some great legs, and he was having fun with her, but Luke didn't see "it" when he looked at Nicole. The one. A future. The person he was supposed to settle down with. The person he was supposed to reproduce with. But, jeez, he was terrified that maybe Lorelai was right about cruises. Maybe there was this mystical force on the ship that turned Average Joes like him into babbling, romantic fools that felt the need to propose. Maybe it was the combo of salt water and chlorine from the pools. Maybe it was the Mai Tais. Good thing he didn't drink any. He would hate it if Lorelai was right. He would hate himself if he let dream Lorelai down. He would hate it if he let the real Lorelai down.

It had been almost three weeks since he last saw Lorelai at Rory's graduation. Man, Luke hated admitting it, but she looked beautiful. Red was definitely her color. Lady in red, like that irritating song. Hate was too strong of a word, though. Lorelai was a very attractive woman. He'd be blind if he didn't see that. He'd be lying to himself if he tried to deny how beautiful she really was. But, hell, he had a girlfriend. Lorelai was his friend. Probably his best friend. You aren't supposed to be attracted to your friends, right? Okay, yes, he's had a bit of a crush on her in the past. A stupid little crush that he always thought would go away one of these days. But, every so often, he would feel it. He couldn't even begin to explain it even if he tried. That feeling he had in his gut every time Lorelai smiled at him, or looked into his eyes, or said something ridiculous, or conned him into giving her coffee, or complimented him, or did something great for Rory. And, part of him hated that feeling. He couldn't shake it. Old crushes die hard, he supposed. But, at the same time, he didn't want to let that feeling go. It was comfortable. It suited him. He was afraid that their relationship would change if he were to let go of that feeling. It had been there for so long it was apart of him now. A permanent entity.

"Here you go, sir," Vince said, interrupting Luke's thoughts. Good timing. He should really stop thinking about Lorelai now. Vince placed the beer on the table next to him. "Anything else I can get for you?"

"No, thanks…uh, here…" Luke said, digging in his pocket for his wallet.

"You can charge to the drink to your cabin, sir," Vince logically said, pointing to a spot on the receipt for Luke's cabin number. "We could also start a tab for you at the bar for the rest of your stay." Luke used the pen Vince pulled out of his shirt pocket and jotted down the room number that he had already committed to memory on the paper.

"Oh, that's a good idea. Uh, how do I, uh…" He stuttered around, trying to decide whether to hand Vince the receipt or not, while he was trying to decide how the whole tab thing worked. Alcohol in abundance was definitely a good idea for the social aspects of this trip.

"Here," Vince said, taking the receipt from Luke. "I'll just put your name down here and give this to the bar for your tab."

"Thanks. I'm Luke Danes."

"D-a-n-e-s?"

"Yes."

"Is your reservation under any other name?"

"Well, uh, my girlfriend made all the reservations."

"Okay, I'll need her name too, and that way I'll be able to find you in our system easier and we can add her to your tab too."

"Yeah, okay, her name's Nicole Leahy."

"How do you spell that, Mr. Danes?"

"Um…jeez, uh, L-a-h-e-y? I think." Damn, that's embarrassing. I don't even know how to spell my girlfriend's last name.

"Okay, Mr. Danes. You're all set. I'll just go take this to the bar, and you or Ms. Leahy can just tell one of our servers or bartenders your name when you order a drink and the tab will be added to your bill at the end of your trip."

"Thanks a lot."

"No problem, sir. Just let me know if I can get you another beer."

"Yeah, okay, I will."

Luke sank back to his original position, closing his eyes as he took a long swig. He blindly lifted his legs up until he found the footstool and rested his feet on top of it. Maybe he could get used to this treatment. Maybe idle hands would drive him nuts. He liked to keep busy. That was his life. He didn't take breaks. He didn't like taking breaks.

That was about when Luke looked down at his feet. He was wearing loafers and shorts. When did he become a loafers and shorts kind of guy? He looked ridiculous. He looked like he should be standing next to someone named Tennille. He hated the yellow shorts he was wearing. He despised the itchy, smelly Hawaiian shirt Nicole had picked out for him. To top it all off, his legs were white. Not just white, but blinding white. Glaring white. White to the point that if Lorelai ever saw them, he would be ridiculed for weeks…no, months. Nicole tried to hide her embarrassment about his legs, but Luke knew better. He saw her shocked reaction when he stepped out of the dressing room for the first time. Was it his fault that he liked to be covered up? Shorts didn't suit him the way a flannel shirt and jeans could. Heck, he would even admit that he didn't mind the slacks and sweaters Lorelai had bought him that one time. But, shorts, loafers, and Hawaiian shirts weren't his style. He was not that guy. He did not want to be that guy.

Not only was Nicole good at getting her way in a wheeling and dealing style, she was good at lying too. Almost too good. Good to the point that Luke found himself second guessing a lot of the things she said. He hated that. He wanted to be able to trust her. Are those the hazards faced when dating a lawyer? Are there always these trust issues? Was it just him? Was it every man or woman who wound up in a relationship with a lawyer?

The reason this came to mind was because of Luke's legs. Nicole insisted that they looked fine, but he didn't believe her. Then, in a very manipulative way, she suggested that he put some sunless tanner on them. She wasn't asking him; she was telling him. Okay, Nicole isn't evil. But, I hate that she's like this sometimes. I hate that it took me this long to notice this about her. Jeez, I really am a piece of work. Letting myself be dominated by this girl. Why am I this guy now? Why do I become this guy with her?

"You can take the man out of Stars Hollow…" he heard Nicole's voice begin. He didn't open his eyes at first; just let her shadow fall on him. Slowly, he looked up at who was before him. She really did look nice today in that white sundress and tanned skin. Laced in her fingers was a plastic sack where he assumed his sunless tanner waited.

"What?" Luke asked, a little baffled by her comment.

"I see that you already found a beer."

"Yeah, well…I'm not a big Mai Tai fan."

"I could tell."

"What did you get at the store?" he asked, pretending like he didn't already know.

"I got a candy bar for me, water for both of us, and sunless tanner that you wanted for your legs," That I wanted…riiight. Nicole took a seat in the deck chair next to him, handing Luke one of the waters from the sack. Silently, they both opened up the bottles and took a sip, letting the serenity of the open sea engulf them. Stuff like this could be nice, he thought.

"Oh, hey, I almost forgot to tell you," Almost too good to be true, "I passed by the spa on my way to the store and signed us up for a couples massage."

"Oh," Luke said unenthusiastically. Terrific, just what he needed. He didn't like when someone, other than the person he was seeing, was grouping him all over. Especially if that someone happened to be a man. Yes, he'd be the first to admit it; he's a homophob.

"You sound less than thrilled."

"No, no," Luke tried to cover it up. He knew she went through a lot of trouble arranging this trip and he didn't want to be an ass the whole time, raining on her parade. "I just don't want my masseuse to be a man."

"I believe that can be arranged," Nicole said with a bit of a smirk. She reached over and found Luke's hand, lacing her fingers with his. She brought up his hand to her lips and gave it a gentle kiss. Luke turned his head to look at Nicole then, trying to return a smile. "Are you really okay with this whole trip?"

"Yeah, sure…why wouldn't I be?" Luke asked, trying to sound convincing.

"You've been a little crabby all day."

"I'm always a little crabby."

"Not always."

"Really, Nicole, I'm fine. It's probably just jet lag."

"We never changed time zones, Luke." Nicole stated logically. Damn, she was good.

"We've just been traveling all day, and I guess I'm just a little worn out."

"Sure. I'm a little tired too."

"I think I just want to go back to the cabin and take a nap."

"Oh, okay…" she said, slightly disappointed, "I was thinking about going for a swim, but I can go back and take a nap with you."

"Nah, I don't want to interrupt your plans. Go ahead and go for a swim. I can take a nap by myself."

"Okay, sure you don't want to join me?"

"Maybe tomorrow," Luke said, trying to shoot her a natural looking smile again. She smiled back.

"Let's meet back at the cabin for dinner."

"Sounds like a plan."

"And, hey, I heard about this show that's going on after dinner where the guy plays water glasses. Should be interesting."

"Yeah…we could check it out, if you want."

"It might be entertaining."

"Let's go then."

"Okay, after dinner." Luke stood up, brushing his shorts off.

"I'm going to head back now."

"I'll walk back with you," Nicole said, "My suit is in the room." They started walking slowly back to their cabin, side-by-side. Nicole reached over and lightly snaked her hand around his arm. Following her gesture, Luke bent his arm slightly, allowing Nicole to tuck her hand in the crook of his arm. Luke took in the sights of the expansive ship as they walked. Nicole smiled at the other couples they passed. Damn, Lorelai was right. It seems like everyone who's here is either in love, or on their honeymoon, or celebrating an anniversary. And, where are Nicole and I? What is she thinking about us being here?

Turning the corner, Luke caught sight of a coffee shop. That's when he saw her. His heart completely skipped a beat and he held his breath. No, it couldn't be. She's in Europe with Rory. But, it certainly looked like her from the back as this woman sat under an umbrella in front of the café. Dark, silky tresses fell along her back in loopy curls. She had a mug of coffee gripped in her hands as she sipped, doing it in the way he saw Lorelai drink it a million times. God, she looks like Lorelai. Could it be her? Luke had to find out. Unconsciously, he let go of Nicole's arm, and turned as they got ready to pass the woman. He still hadn't taken another breath, his heart beating fast.

"Luke?" Nicole questioned. Luke stopped as they stood next to the table, trying to get a good look at the woman's face. She looked over right then too. The face was unrecognizable, the eyes dark brown. Now he could see a bit of olive coloring in her complexion. It wasn't Lorelai. Luke sucked in a breath as the woman gave him a confused look.

"Sorry…" Luke began, "You just…I thought you looked like someone I know…from behind." This is awkward.

'Oh, okay." The woman stated, taking another sip from her mug. Nicole watched the exchange cautiously, beginning to piece things together as Luke began to quickly walk from the café.

"You thought she was Lorelai, didn't you?" Nicole asked after they were a safe distance away.

"What?" Luke asked, frantically trying to find away to cover up his momentary lapse. Lorelai was a sore spot in their relationship. He tried to avoid mention of her like the plague now, hating the way Nicole glared at him in jealousy. "Nah, I thought she just looked familiar."

"Right…"

"I'm serious."

"I know. I believe you." Nicole said. Luke was pretty sure she was lying. He was second guessing her words once again.

"Good…" Luke held out his arm to her, encouraging her to come closer. "Come here," he asked. She reluctantly relented, letting his arm wrap around her shoulders. Luke kissed her forehead lightly. "This ship is really nice."

"Yeah, it is," Nicole said, then remained silent as they walked the rest of the way.

Why is it that he saw Lorelai here? Why did he keep thinking he saw her in the diner when she had been in Europe for three weeks? Why had he dreamed about her before? Why did dream Lorelai tell him to not get engaged? Why did seeing that woman he thought was Lorelai affect him so much? Did he miss her? Was he allowed to miss her? Why did Lorelai have this affect on him? They were just friends. Luke sighed as they found the hallway where their cabin was in.

What the hell am I doing here?

A/N: Well, what did you think? Good? Bad? In between? Should I continue? Drop me a line and review to let me know either way. I am anxious for your feedback. And constructive criticism. Is Luke in character? Is Nicole? I really want to know what you guys think.

Yeah, I'll be the first one to admit that this chapter is a little weird. Luke is rambling. Nicole is just being Nicole. Lolabelle26, you were right when you said Nicole was hard to write. Yeah, and she does talk really weird. All breathy and throaty and such.

I promise, better stuff is coming. What I have planned so far is the next chapter to be about Lorelai (who is much easier for me to write than Luke) and Rory. Then back to Luke. Then back to Lorelai, and so forth until I get to a point where they both go back home.

So, if you guys want me to continue, here's what I got in store for chapter 2… "Carmelites, Gondolas, and Indiana Jones"…Lorelai and Rory are making their way down "the boot," as they plan their days in Venice. While sipping espresso in a café on the Piazza de Marco, they discuss what they want to see, and what they don't (including a rant from Lorelai about opera). Lots of references to actual places in Venice (yes, I've been there. I'm trying to be as authentic as I can). Rory is a little surprised to hear that Lorelai has been thinking about Luke and his cruise and the Gilmore girls contemplate sending him a postcard. Are you enthralled? I hope you want me to continue, but if this chapter sucks, then I probably won't.

Thanks for reading and please drop me a review. Even if it's to rant or tell me a joke. I'll take it all, I'm easy (spread that around…will do).