A/N: Delayed update... I am in India, Life, uh, found a way! Sorry to keep you waiting, will get back on track ASAP.

The next morning, Lorelai was closing the cabin door behind her when Sookie pulled up in the car and honked her horn. Lorelai turned and smiled at her friend then hurried over and climbed in beside her.

"You ready?" Sookie asked, and she gunned the engine and made a lion roaring face along with the noise.

Lorelai laughed as she reached back for her seatbelt and Sookie honked the horn twice more then took off. They had planned a full day of shopping and Jackson had agreed to take the kids to his mothers until Sunday. Sookie was eager to get some quality time with Lorelai, help her pick out clothing and generally cheer her up and Lorelai was looking forward to getting started on a new chapter. Tom had put the furniture together and she had been in the house with him the night before to be sure everything was going to plan. He had called her that morning to confirm he was finishing up the final coat of paint and would have everything cleared out and ready for her to move back in by dinner time. Now all that was left to do was to replace all the clothing and linen she had thrown out and start again.

Start again.

Those words pulled the smile from her lips and made her shoulders slump. She didn't want to start again. She didn't want to start at all. She just wanted to rest for a while. She looked over at her friend who was bobbing her head to a new tune that just started on the radio and she couldn't help the small smile. She reached into her bag and grabbed a piece of bubbleicious gum and handed one to Sookie then took one herself and joined in.

The day flew by in a flurry of purchases. They made three trips back to the car with their arms laden with bags and it still they weren't finished. They stopped for a coffee in the central cafe and people watched other shoppers for a while then when they were finished Sookie grabbed Lorelai's wrist and pulled her across the mall to the lingerie store with a wicked grin on her face.

"Sookie…" Lorelai protested when she realised where they were going.

"What!" Sookie pushed her in and followed close behind. "You said you threw out all the other pieces because of…well with everything else. So you need to get new ones!"

"I don't need them though." Lorelai said even as her treacherous fingers reached out to touch the silky lace garments. "I'm not dating anyone and I don't plan to for a very long time."

"No harm in being prepared."

"How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!"

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." Sookie waggled her finger at Lorelai as she walked around the aisle looking for something to pull out.

"Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die!" Lorelai responded with a chuckle

"Expect the worst, but prepare for the best…" Sookie retorted with a laugh as she held up a deep red silken teddy. "This would look fabulous on you!"

"Sookie, I really don't want…" Lorelai spotted a navy two piece with a matching garter belt. "Oh this one…" she picked it up and held it against her body then turned to face Sookie who was clapping her hands with a giggle.

"Try it on! Try it on!"

The next hour in the store Lorelai was camped out in the changing rooms as Sookie handed her back multiple choices that she could try. Eventually she decided on a few key garments, stating it was purely for necessity and purchased them with a wicked grin. Sookie liked her arm in the crook of Lorelai's elbow and they walked through the mall, as Lorelai swung her newly purchased items from side to side. They turned the corner, caught up in a fit of giggles and walked right into Luke who was looking down at a cell phone in his hand and not watching where he was going.

"Oh sorry." The three of them stopped and looked at each other and Sookie was stuck looking between them both. "Hey." Luke said eventually.

"Hey." Lorelai managed to get out though her voice sounded broken and hoarse.

"Hey Luke, what ya got there? New phone?"

"Dropped my cell in the dishwasher this morning. Needed a new one." His eyes immediately went to Lorelai's hands at her shopping bag but he didn't recognize the shop name or logo. "Shopping?"

"Yeah." Lorelai cursed her voice again and quietly cleared her throat.

"Just having a girly day out," Sookie said, to break the awkward silence she could feel building between them both.

"Right, yeah." He glanced between them both. "I guess I'll let you get back to it."

He stepped aside and let them pass then watched them walk for a few meters before turning on his heel and walking back towards his own truck to get away from the mall as quick as he could. He slipped the phone into his back pocket as he stepped onto the escalator and let his eyes wander around the mall but they landed on the shop at the top near the entrance to the car park and he recognized the logo as being the same from Lorelai's bag. He glanced at the window and looked away then in a comical gesture did a double take to actually register what he was looking at. The scantily clad mannequins in the window did nothing to suggest what the store might be selling, instead they were quite clearly brandishing various undergarments, lingerie, accessories and creams and Luke felt a small color burn in his cheeks. He looked away and took a deep breath as he kept walking and tried to avert his gaze, but as he looked at the last mannequin it was Lorelai he saw standing there wearing the pale blue 2 piece with the black lace trim. He blinked to rid himself of the image and instead focused on getting out of the mall and back to the safety of his diner as quick as he could.

After Sookie dropped her off at the inn Lorelai took only a few moments to pack her meagre belongings before she made her way home. She met Tom in the lawn as he was packing up the last of his equipment. He put the last box into the back of his truck then came back to the porch to walk her through the house and point out all the work that had been done. Apart from the painting and putting the furniture together, he had fixed the wobbly rail on her staircase, the drawer in her bathroom that wouldn't close and fixed a window that wasn't closing fully. She took the invoice off him and promised to get the cheque to him by the end of the week. Tom waved at her as he left and Lorelai took a moment to let it all sink in. But before it could get too deep she hurried back out to her car and grabbed her shopping. It took four trips to take it all in and she brought it all upstairs to her room. She spent the rest of the evening putting it all away, making appear as if these new items had always been here in her home. And if it wasn't for the utter tidiness she was left with, she would almost have believed it.

Later on the couch as she opened the pizza that had just arrived and took a slice out to bite just as the phone rang. She sighed, looked up at the movie that she was ready to unpause and wondered if she would let the answering machine take the call but when it clicked on and through the small speaker she could hear Rory's voice, Lorelai dropped the slice back into the box and jumped up to grab the phone.

"Hello?" she said, hoping Rory was still on the other side.

"Mom?"

"Yes! You were expecting maybe Lady Chatterley?"

"Or her lover."

"Maybe it is I!"

"Wow, progressive!"

"How is London?"

"Cold!"

"Really?"

"It's not snowing, but it's raining, not stop. Everything is damp and cold."

"How was Christmas?" Rory said as she settled back onto the couch and pulled the soft blanket over her legs.

"Strange," Rory admitted and Lorelai recognized the wistful tone in her daughter. "I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"How was Christmas there?"

"Quiet without you." Lorelai pulled at a loose piece of thread on the edge of the blanket.

"Mom…" Rory said and Lorelai waited with bated breath for her to continue. "I spoke to Grandma."

"Yeah?"

"She said Dad has moved back to Boston."

"Oh."

"Mom?"

"Don't worry about it Rory. Enjoy the rest of your time with Logan. We can catch up when you get home."

"Mom."

"Rory, please." The soft plea from her mother was enough to stop Rory from insisting that they talk. They sat in silence for a moment or two then Lorelai asked her what she had gotten for Christmas from Logan. After a while when Rory was yawning more than talking Lorelai implored her to hang up and returned her focus to her now Luke warm pizza and the movie. When finally it was time to go to bed she cleaned up her mess and made her way slowly up stairs. She took a longer time than normal washing and brushing her teeth then changed into her new pajamas. By the bed she pulled back the new duvet with the equally new cupcake cover and climbed into the soft sheets and sighed. Her head reeled through a myriad of thoughts but she tried to banish them and get some sleep. Her body was weary but sleep was evasive. She tossed and turned, flipped her pillow back and forth but all she could think of were his hands on her body, his lips against her skin and his voice in her ear as he pushed into her. She felt her whole body shudder and jumped out of the bed, whirled around and started at it with narrowed eyes.

"Get a grip Gilmore!" she sneered as she stepped closer to the bed and gingerly lifted the duvet. She climbed in again and fixed the blanket over herself then reached over for the clock radio and fiddled with the buttons until she found the station with idle chatter to keep her mind of the rampant thoughts that occupied her brain. She tried desperately for the rest of the night to fall asleep, or at the very least think of something else but nothing works. When the first shards of light peeks through the curtains she tossed the duvet aside and quickly dressed. She pulled on a woolen hat and scarf and zipped up her blue puffy jacket then hurried out of the house. Walking through Stars Hallow was usual a joyous affair, one where she met and greeted friends and neighbors, spoke idly of the goings on and gently teased Patty for knowing everything, but this early in the morning the streets were deserted. The silence was almost painful. She brushed her cheek with one gloved hand to rid the traces of the tears that had fallen as she stepped onto the gazebo and sat into the bench and did her best to ignore them entirely.

Luke held the door open for Pat the baker to carry out his trays and waved him off but before he could close the door behind him he spotted someone sitting in the gazebo. He checked his watch and realised it was just after 5.30 am and wondered who it could be. Then he noticed the colorful woolen hat with the large blue bobble on top and knew it was Lorelai. Without even thinking about it, he crossed the road and hurried over to the gazebo stopping just short of the steps as his senses caught up with him. Would she welcome his intrusion?

He grabbed the handrail and slowly walked up the steps. She was sitting on the centre bench with her back to him, her head bent low and rested in her hands as her elbows were bent on her knees. He stood behind her for a few seconds, as if waiting for her to notice his presence and when he was on the cusp of deciding to turn away she sat up and let out a vocal and frustrated sigh.

"Lorelai?"

She jerked at the sound of his voice and whirled towards him as her hands clutched her chest. "Jesus!"

"Sorry…I didn't mean to startle you." Lorelai turned back to face away from him and quickly wiped her face again but it was no use, he had seen the glistening trails of her tears. "Everything ok?" he asked gently knowing she would brush him off with a generic platitude even as the words tumbled out of his mouth.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

There it was, he thought with a grimace. He took a step back to leave her be but instead he gripped the back of the bench and came around to sit next to her, careful to leave more than a few inches between them. "Fine. Sure." He clasped his hands together and blew hot air in between them then rubbed them gruffly and and held them between his knees. "That's why you are sitting in the gazebo at dawn, crying."

"I'm not crying." She said with a defiant glance up at him only to see his eyebrow arch up. "I was. But I'm not anymore."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No." Her answer was definitive and left no room for discussion.

"You want a coffee?"

"No." She had spoken before he had finished asking, then she sat up and turned to face him. "Wait, that's not what I thought you were going to ask."

"What did you think I was going to ask?"

"I thought you were going to ask me about…the other night."

Luke looked at her for a moment, making it clear that he did want to ask her about that but instead he shrugged one shoulder, maintained eye contact and curved one side of his lips up in an infuriating adorable half smile. So much that Lorelai had to look away. "I just thought you could use a cup of coffee."

She glanced back at him. "I could."

"C'mon," he said and he slapped his hands on his knees and stood up then without thinking about it reached a hand down to her, palm up, fingers slightly curled in invitation. Lorelai looked at his hand for a second, then up at his face and gingerly accepted his invitation. Despite the thick mittens she was wearing she could feel the heat from his hands seeping into hers. His fingerless gloves offering him more control he gripped her hand tightly and pulled her closer as he hurried across the square and over to the diner. He led her to a stool at the end of the counter, away from the till and urged her to sit down and only then did he drop her hand. She missed his touch, his warmth immediately and she had to look away, hoping he would mistake the color in her cheeks for simple heat from the diner.

She watched him as she pulled off her outerwear as he moved quickly and smoothly behind the counter and started to make the coffee. He didn't talk or hum like most people would when they performed daily tasks like this, instead he offered her a strong silence and plenty of space. She had just pulled her coat off and dropped it along with her hat, scarf and gloves on the stool next to her when he turned back and started to remove his own gear.

"It'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Thanks."

"Hungry?"

Lorelai shook her head but Luke continued to watch her until her cheeks reddened. "Maybe a little peckish."

"Pancakes?"

"No, Luke really, I'm fine."

"So a small stack?"

"Really, I'm ok."

"I'm about to have some oatmeal with fruit. You can have some of that, or you can sit there and watch me eat, or you can have some pancakes." He said matter of factly as if nothing had changed, as it it was all just some kind of horrifically detailed dream. "So…which will it be?"

"Pancakes," she muttered softly, tearing her eyes away from him and staring at the counter top.

"Sorry?" he placed both hands flat on the counter and leaned closer to her. "Didn't catch that."

"I'll have some pancakes." she said louder this time, but still not looking up. Luke nodded, turned to the coffee which was now ready and poured her a cup then placed it in front of her and disappeared into the kitchen.

Lorelai waited a few heartbeats then reached out for the cup, held it in both hands and lifted the aromatic drink to her face and inhaled deeply. The sudden familiar sensation overwhelmed her and she was awash with deja vu as every day she had spent in the diner flooded through her brain making her dizzy. She gripped the edge of the counter and the mug slipped out of her hand, clipped the edge of the counter and dropped to the floor, smashing into shards, spilling her coffee along with it.

"Oh crap!" She jumped off the stool and ignored the burning sensation in her legs from her sodden jeans as she grabbed a towel from the counter and tried to mop up her mess.

"Lorelai?" Luke came out of the kitchen and around the counter then hurried over to where she was bent down trying to clean up the spillage with paper napkins. "You ok? What happened?"

"I, um…I dropped it."

"It's ok." he reached for another towel and helped to clean it up and when he glanced up at her he noticed the tears falling freely from her eyes. "Hey, hey, it's ok," He said as he pulled the towel from her hands and gripped her upper arms to make her stand.

"I spilled it everywhere," she muttered, gesturing at the floor, the counter, her jeans.

"It doesn't matter." He gripped her upper arms tightly, resisting the urge to pull her against him, embrace her into a tight hug and bury her face against his neck and shoulder. "those jeans must be burning…" he lowered his hands from her shoulders and gripped her wrist instead as he pulled her with him, behind the curtain and up to his flat. He brought her towards his room and only let go of her long enough to rummage through his drawers for a pair of sweats and a teeshirt. "Here, change into these," he said, as he shoved the clothing into her arms, not giving her a choice but to take them. "I'll go check on the pancakes. Stay warm, I'll be right back."

Luke returned to the diner and Lorelai was left standing agape in his wake. He was right, her sodden jeans were burning against her skin so she quickly peeled them off, grimacing as the stiff material dragged against her skin. She looked around at the door to his apartment as if she expected him to come in any second then grabbed the change of clothing he offered and slipped into his bathroom.

In the diner kitchen Luke could hear his shower running and his heavy heart skipped a beat. He made her pancakes and cleaned up the spilled coffee then went back into the kitchen to prep a tray to bring her food up. He paused, holding his breath but could no longer hear the shower and figured it was safe enough to go up now. He stomped up the steps, making sure she knew he was coming then opened the door and went straight to his kitchen table. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted Lorelai sitting cross legged on his couch, her hair curly and tangled around her face in what he knew was an effort to hide fresh tears. Luke lifted the tray and carried it over to the couch then handed her a plate of pancakes which were already drenched in syrup. He lifted his own bowel of oatmeal and sat next to her, passed her a fork and started to eat his own breakfast in silence.

Lorelai took a moment to catch up before she cut off a small piece and ate it. Neither of them spoke and when Luke was finished he looked over to see she was half done, but disinterested in the rest. "You done?" he asked. She glanced up and nodded. "Give it here," he took her plate and his own and carried both to the sink then came back and sat next to her again. She took a shaky breath and interlocked her hands between her legs, stared at them intently and waited for him to speak. "Lorelai…" was all he said and it was enough for a fresh batch of tears to fall. "Oh, hey…" he didn't care anymore about what was the right thing to do or the easiest thing to do, he just knew he had to hold her. He draped an arm over her shoulder and without any resistance she let him pull her against his chest. Her head rested on the front of his shoulder and her whole body turned towards him, his heat, his comfort, him.

Luke gripped her knee and dragged her legs over his lap as one hand held her against him, the other rested on her hip, making sure she didn't move. He tried desperately to resist kissing the top of her head but it was proving to be too much so he simply dropped his face into her hair and inhaled. Lorelai cried softly, exhaustion taking over as her lack of sleep and need for comfort overwhelmed her.

It wasn't long until her breathing relaxed, her tears dried and Luke realised she was sleeping. He loathed to move her, wake her, ask her to leave but he needed to get down to the diner in the next ten minutes to greet the first customers of the day. The thought of staying closed and just waiting up here with Lorelai in his arms crossed his mind, but he knew she would wake and escape from his arms, his flat, his life and he would be left with nothing, again.

"Hey…" he said softly, so softly that she didn't stir and he knew it was his feeble attempt to con himself into letting her stay. but the more rational side of him, the side that had hardened his own protective shell, the side that tried to ignore the sight of her and…him…around town, the side that couldn't even say the guy's name, knew he needed to extract himself from this situation before it got too hard to survive.

He moved his head and looked down at her carefully. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open a little as she breathed in deep and even breaths. The grip she had on his chest had slackened but the flannel was still curled around her fingers. He slowly slipped his arm under her knees and stood up from the couch, held her against his chest as he moved over to the bed and carefully dropped her onto the sheets then draped the duvet over her loosely. He took her jeans and rinsed them out in the sink then draped them over the back of a kitchen chair in front of the radiator. He took one more look at her lying in his bed then steeled himself against his temptations and went downstairs.

The morning in the diner was particularly arduous as he didn't have his normal set up time so he felt like he was catching up all day. And though he thought he would have no time to think about her lying up in his room, his bed, his tee, the image he had left up there never strayed far from the front of his mind. By the time the lunch rush died down he was ready to collapse and asked Cesar to take over for a while. He took the steps up to his flat in twos and paused only at the door in case she was still sleeping. But he found the chair by the radiator to be empty along with the bed, though it was made with a note left on the pile of folded clothes she has been wearing. Luke strode over to it and snatched it up and sat on the bed to read it.

"Thanks."

He flipped it over and back a few times to see if he had missed something but that was it. Her script writing curling at the ends made the single word seem joyous but it was with a frown that Luke scrunched the page up in his fist and tossed it into the bin.