Disclaimer: So...yeah, I'm not ASP, cuz like if I was, Luke and Lorelai would have been together a long time ago...so yeah...characters, not mine.

Summary: Luke's reaction.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed. Its totally awesome, I went from having like 6 reviews to like 18! Oh and everyone who reviewed post authors note was right about Aunt Cecile. Um, thanks to my beta Annie, for doing this, even though she's just getting back from vacation. You rock girlie! Okay, on with the story...


Chapter 6She's Gone.

I love you, and I think I always will.

Luke watched her fight back tears as she turned and left his diner, barely keeping himself from going after her. She just doesn't understand, he thought, then mentally kicked himself for blaming her. Hell I don't even understand, how's she supposed to? He turned and headed upstairs to his apartment, emotionally drained, and he knew she was right. He had withdrawn from the relationship, and, embarrassed as he was to admit it, she was right about the sex thing...his heart just wasn't in it. I have a lot to figure out, he thought. He slipped into bed, suddenly conscious of the emptiness of the other side. I'll give her a few days, and then I'll go over and apologize, he thought as he drifted into a shallow sleep.

A few days later, Luke stood on her porch. Come on Luke, he coached himself, you need to do this, for both of you. He raised his hand to knock.

"She's not there Luke." He heard Babette say, and his hand froze.

"Oh." He said, trying to mask his disappointment. "Do you know when she'll be back?" He asked, feeling stupid for not knowing his own girlfriend's whereabouts.

"Honey, I don't think she's coming back." He heard Babette say, and his heart stopped.

"Wh-what?" He barely got out.

"She loaded her Jeep and left early yesterday morning. She's gone doll..." Babette said, eyeing him with sympathy.

"No..." He whispered to himself, remembering a past town meeting, in which he'd angrily agreed to move in case of a break up, and Babette misinterpreted his silence for confusion.

"You might want to see if Sookie knows anything..." she trailed off.

He cleared his throat, "Uh right, thanks Babette..." he choked out as he hurried back to his truck.

"No problem." Babette's reply was lost as his truck sped down the gravel driveway and through town.

Oh God no, this can't be happening. I can't lose her. I don't want to be out! He thought as he sped towards the Dragonfly. She wouldn't really leave...would she? The Dragonfly's here, this place is her baby. She's probably just getting away for a few days, he tried to rationalize, even as a little part of his brain whispered, You've done it now Danes, she's gone." "Shut up." He spoke out loud into the empty truck cab as he pulled into the Dragonfly driveway. He jumped out and ran up the porch steps, freezing in the doorway. The very doorway in which their relationship had started. He couldn't move as the memories flooded over him.

"There was! There was a moment...What are you doing?"

"Would you just stand still?"

"I just want you to know, I'min. I am all in."

"You want to know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking I can't be in this relationship anymore, it's too much"

"Cuz baby you're lost without me...right?"

"You bet."

"Luke, will you marry me?"

"What?"

His eyes began to well up with tears, but he was snapped out of his reverie by a very annoyed French voice coming from the front desk.

"Sookie, that lumberjack man is here...blocking the entrance."

And he turned to see Sookie coming out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel and calling instructions to the employees in the kitchen behind her. She looked up and saw Luke, her eyes immediately filling with pity.

"She's not here Luke."

"Where is she? Where did she go Sookie?"

She took a deep breath, andthen gestured for him to follow her. "Come on; let's sit where we can talk privately."

When they were settled he asked again, "Where is she?"

"I don't know." Sookie answered honestly. "She was going to call me when she found a place, but I haven't heard from her yet."

"She's not coming back." He stated quietly, burying his head in his hands.

"No." She said afraid of what he would think. "I'm sorry Luke."

"Why? Why did she leave?" He asked, looking up at Sookie with pain filled eyes.

"You guys broke up." Sookie said simply. "She said she couldn't stay here and be miserable."

"Oh God. I wasn't- I didn't mean to-" He looked up again, suddenly uncomfortable pouring his heart out in the Dragonfly lounge. "Um, thanks Sookie...I'll uh, get out of your way." He got up and started to walk away.

"She loves you Luke. If you can find her..." Sookie trailed off.

He nodded silently and left.

He drove in miserable silence for what seemed like hours, until he found himself in the parking lot of Sniffy's Tavern. After a few moments, he dragged himself out of his truck and into the familiar restaurant. The hostess recognized him immediately and seated him at his regular table, which was where Maize found him an hour later, nursing his fourth beer.

"Young man...what do you think you're doing?" Her voice snapped him out of his daze.

"She's gone Maize. I screwed up and she left."

"Oh dear...scoot over." He made room for the older woman in the booth and she slid in next to him. "What happened Lucas?"

"She- she proposed. She proposed, I realized how much I love her, and I freaked."

"And why's that?"

"I...I was afraid to lose her."

"Well you sure dodged that bullet." His head popped up, surprised at her sarcasm. "What did you think was going to happen? A woman like her wasn't going to stick around just to be miserable, with or without you."

"That's what she said." He whispered. "I really blew it. She's gone Maize." He said helplessly.

"Well go after her!"

"No one knows where she is! Not even Sookie..."

"What's a Sookie?"

"Her best friend."

"Oh..."

"What am I going to do?"

"You really want to know what I think you should do." He nodded. "I think you need to stay away from the beer first of all," she said, grabbing the bottle from his hand, "Give her some time, she might come back; and in the meantime, figure out exactly what it was that made you 'freak' as you put it. Then go after her for God's sake!"

"But I don't know where she is!"

"Eventually she'll get in contact with this Sookie person, and maybe by then you'll have yourself figured out."

"Okay," he sighed, "Thanks Maize."

"That's what I'm here for son." He smiled weakly and slid out of the booth, and she watched the closest thing she'd had to a son walk out her door, his heart breaking.


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