Homeward Bound

"Call Rory back and then we'll call the airline," Luke said while he stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Luke smiled and pulled back to look at her. "Don't be. I want to go home too," he said gently.

Lorelai caressed his cheek and said, "I meant about Fran. I know you've known her forever, and that's hard."

"Yeah," he said softly. He took her hand and held it against his cheek. "It will be easier if we're there to say goodbye. Together," he said as he placed a soft kiss to her palm. "Call Rory, I'll start figuring out what we need to do," he said as he got up and began to dress.

As Luke prowled the villa trying to collect their belongings, Lorelai dialed the Plaza and asked for the Gilmore's room. When Richard answered she said, "Hi Dad," in a sad tired voice.

"Lorelai, Rory told us about your friend. We're so sorry," he said gently.

"Thanks Dad, she was a very sweet lady," Lorelai answered. "Um, Dad?" she asked.

"Yes?" Richard answered.

"Luke and I are going to come home," she said softly.

"Oh Lorelai, are you sure?" Richard asked, disappointed for them.

"Yeah, we're sure. Luke has known Fran all of his life, and I know he wants to be there. Anyway, you know about the fire at the inn, and a pipe burst at the diner. It's just getting a little too hard for us to be away, you know?" she asked with a sigh.

"I understand," Richard said quietly.

"Anyway, we're going to call the airline and see how soon we can get home. Are you heading back to Hartford today?" she asked.

"Yes, we will be leaving at about noon. You see what arrangements you can make, and if you have a problem call your mother's cell phone," he told her gently.

"Great, thanks Dad," Lorelai said with a sigh. "This has been a wonderful trip for us. I hope you and Mom know that we really appreciate it," Lorelai said sincerely.

"We were happy to do it. Now, Rory is sitting here getting agitated with me, so I will hand you over to her," he said.

"Bye Dad," Lorelai answered as Richard gave the phone to Rory.

Rory came on the line and asked, "What did he mean arrangements?"

"We're coming home, kid," Lorelai said with a sad smile.

"Oh Mom, no," she said softly.

"We really want to, Hon. We've had a great time, but we really want to come home," Lorelai assured her.

"But Mom, you're never going to get another honeymoon," Rory argued.

Lorelai smiled and said, "I get Luke everyday. I'll take that over any island getaway any day."

"And Luke wants to come home too?" Rory asked, afraid that her mother may have railroaded him.

"Yeah, Sweets, he wants to be there for Fran," Lorelai told her gently.

"Okay," Rory conceded with a huge sigh. "I'm glad you're coming home, I've missed you," Rory confessed.

"I've missed you too, Sweets. More than you know," Lorelai told her with a smile. "I'll call you guys when I know what our plans are, okay?" she asked.

"Okay, Mom. Give Luke a big hug from me," she instructed.

"I will," Lorelai said before she hung up. She got out of bed and quickly pulled on some clothes before she went looking for Luke.

She found him staring into the refrigerator, trying to figure out what to do next. "You hungry?' he asked distractedly.

"No," she answered quietly.

Luke looked over at her and said, "I'm making eggs. You need to eat something," he said firmly as he pulled out the eggs, and rummaged for a pan.

"Luke," she started to stop him.

He turned to the stove and said, "I'm making eggs."

"Okay," she answered softly, staring at his hunched shoulders. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek to his shirt.

After a minute, Luke cleared his throat and whispered, "I hate leaving here."

"I know," she whispered back. "We can stay," she offered.

Luke shook his head and said, "No, we need to go. I'm just not ready to face it all, you know?" he asked.

"I know. We've been living in a bubble for the past couple of weeks, and now reality has burst it," she said as she rubbed her cheek against his soft t-shirt.

Luke turned to her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her hair. "I have to share you again, and I'm feeling selfish," he admitted.

"That makes two of us," she answered.

"We'll get back and we'll be busy, and…" he trailed off with a gusty sigh.

"I know, I hate it too," she said softly.

Luke nodded and said, "Well, at least I'm not the only big selfish baby."

Lorelai smiled up at him and said, "We were made for each other, baby."

"That we were," he said as he kissed her sweetly. "You call the airline, I'll make the eggs."

As Lorelai dialed, he cracked eggs into a bowl and whipped them quickly. She was still wrangling with the ticket agent, getting more and more agitated, when he placed her plate in front of her. She shoveled the eggs in as she listened to the agent and offered more suggestions. Finally, she shouted a frustrated, "Gah!" as she pushed the button to end the call.

Luke raised an eyebrow and asked, "I take it things didn't go the way you wanted?"

Lorelai shook her head and said, "The earliest we can get is at 6:00 tomorrow night." She sneered at the phone and said, "Coach!"

Luke grinned and said, "Snob." He took the phone from her and said, "I'll call the diner and find out what the funeral arrangements are."

After talking to Jess, he hung up and said, "Tuesday morning. We'll be cutting it close."

"I'll call Dad and let him know. We should call Bob and find out what we need to do here," she said.

"I'll walk down there while you call Richard," Luke said slipping into his sandals. He looked at the pile of bags on the living room floor and said, "We never got the other stuff out of the car last night."

Lorelai grinned and said, "Better things to do."

Luke nodded and said, "We need to buy an extra suitcase to get this stuff home."

Lorelai nodded as she dialed and said, "Well, we have plenty of time," in a disgruntled tone. Luke smirked and walked out the door as Richard answered their room phone. "Hi Dad," Lorelai said flatly.

"What did you find out?" Richard asked.

"Well, the earliest we could get was tomorrow at six. We'll get in late, so tell Rory we'll hire a car to bring us home," she said tiredly.

"When is the funeral?" Richard asked.

"Tuesday morning," Lorelai answered.

Richard let out a low whistle and said, "Cutting it close."

Lorelai laughed bitterly and said, "That's exactly what Luke said."

"Well, at least you get another day," Richard said gently.

"Yeah," Lorelai said as she choked on a sob.

"Lorelai?" Richard asked softly.

"I'm sorry Dad," she said hoarsely. "It's just, we are ready to come home, and now that we've made up our minds, we can't get home," she said sadly. "I just want to come home," she said softly.

Eager to keep her from getting too upset, Richard quickly said, "Let me make a few calls, see if I can help."

Lorelai sighed and said, "That would be great. Thanks Dad."

"I'll call you back shortly," Richard said firmly.

"Okay, thanks," Lorelai said as she pressed the button to end the call.

She got up and started the dryer, tumbling the clothes that were in there over again. She dragged their suitcases from the closet and began to place the clothes she knew she wouldn't need into hers. She heard the front door close and Luke came in to find her packing. "Hey," he said softly, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hi, I just thought I'd start," she said gesturing to the suitcases.

"Good idea," he said as he moved beside her and began sorting his own clothes. "Did you tell your parents?" he asked.

"Yeah, I told Dad to tell Rory we'd hire a car to bring us home since it will be late," she said. "Dad was going to call the airline, see if he could pull any strings," she said hopelessly.

Luke smiled and said, "He should sic your mother on them."

Lorelai laughed and said, "That would get results," as she stuffed her underwear into the inside pocket of her bag angrily.

"Hey," Luke said as he took hold of her wrist. He waited until she turned tear filled eyes to him and said, "I guess I don't have to ask if you're okay," as he pulled her to him.

"I'm sorry," she said with a sniffle. "I hate to leave, but if we have to, I want to leave now," she said pitifully.

"I know, me too," he said as he held her and swayed gently. When she looked up at him, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her gently. When he pulled back, Lorelai reached up and pulled him back down to her, kissing him urgently. When she parted her lips, Luke deepened the kiss, as she moaned softly into his mouth. He pulled back and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "I love you, here, there, wherever," he said with a quirk of his lips and a shrug.

"I love you, too. Everywhere," she said as she tilted her head up to be kissed again. Luke obliged, nudging the suitcases aside and gently pushing her back on the bed, where they proceeded to show each other just how much.

An hour later, Lorelai was dozing on Luke's shoulder when the phone rang. He slid out from under her and went to the kitchen to retrieve the portable. "Hello?" he asked quietly.

"Luke? It's Richard. Is Lorelai around?" he asked.

"She's, uh, napping," Luke said as a flush rose in his cheeks.

"Good, she seemed pretty upset earlier," Richard said, oblivious. "I have good news for you," he said triumphantly.

"Yeah?" Luke asked.

"Well, I knew that Mike Armstrong was flying to St Croix yesterday to look over a new property for the Durham Group, so I called him. He has the corporate jet at Charlotte Amalie, and they were going to deadhead it back to New York this evening. He said they would be happy to give you a lift," Richard said jovially.

"Really?' Luke asked, glancing at the bedroom. "When?"

"Can you be at the airport by six?" Richard asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. I'll call Bob and see if he can get us there," Luke said scratching his head as he thought it through. He glanced at the clock and said, "It's only noon now, so I don't see why not."

"Good, I'll call Mike back and let him know, and then I will get back to you with the details," Richard said.

"Good, thanks, uh, talk to you soon," Luke said as he hung up. He quickly pressed the speed dial to Bob and Jean's cottage and filled Bob in on the plan. When Bob assured him that it was doable, Luke asked, "Hey, where can I buy a suitcase or something to get all this stuff home?"

Bob laughed and said, "Don't worry, we have an old one out in the shed that should work, I'll bring it up."

"Uh, okay, thanks. We'll ship it back to you," Luke said trying to work out the logistics.

"Don't worry about it. It's an old one we never use. It just sits there gathering dust. I'll be up in a minute or two," Bob said.

"Oh, okay, uh, make it more like two, okay?" Luke asked.

Bob laughed and said, "See you in fifteen."

"Thanks," Luke said as he hung up and went to wake Lorelai. He slid back into the bed and kissed her cheek softly. "Hey wake up," he whispered.

Lorelai groaned and said, "Stop wearing me out."

He kissed her bare shoulder and said, "I can't help it, you're irresistible."

Lorelai grinned and said, "I know, it's a burden I carry," with a gusty sigh. "Hi," she whispered, rubbing her nose against his.

"Hi," he whispered back. As she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him to her he said, "Hey, no time now. Your dad called, he has arranged for us to get home tonight."

"Really?" she asked, torn between smiling and frowning.

"Really," he said with a reassuring smile. "We will be home in our own bed tonight. Now, come on, get up, Bob will be here in a few minutes," he told her.

"A few minutes! We haven't packed! I'm not dressed!" she said as she sat up clutching the sheet to her chest.

Luke laughed and said, "Relax. He's dropping off a suitcase for the loot." He tilted his head, offered his hand and teased, "You're pretty when you panic."

"You're pretty when you have no pants on," she shot back.

Luke looked down and realized that he was still naked. He laughed and scrambled for his shorts. "Man, gotta get used to wearing clothes again," he said dryly.

Lorelai nodded as she walked to the bathroom. "You'd better, we can't have your tender vittles exposed to frost bite," she tossed over her shoulder.

"Tender vittles?" he asked, incredulous. Lorelai turned, framed in the doorway, and purred deep and sexy. Luke laughed and said, "Get in there, Crazy Lady!"

"Crazy about you," she said with a smile.

Luke shook his head and pulled his t-shirt on, going to the living room to sort through their purchases before Bob arrived. Twenty minutes later, Lorelai emerged in her jeans and a t-shirt to find Luke packing their presents into an ancient battered, hard sided suitcase. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the ancient case.

"Bob gave it to us, to haul our stuff back in," he explained as he crammed more souvenirs into the case.

"I think it's older than me," she said as she examined the suitcase.

"It works," he said gruffly. "Bob is picking us up at 3:30, that way we'll have plenty of time to get to the airport. I'm just waiting for your dad to call back with the details."

"What do we need to do here?" she asked.

"Nothing, Bob said he and Jean would take care of it all. I'm going to make a sandwich, you want one?" he asked.

"Sure, I worked off my eggs," she said with a lewd wink.

"Sure did," he said as he grabbed her and kissed her firmly. "Now scoot," he said swiping her butt. "Get packing, we're going home."

"Yes sir!" she said as she retreated to the bedroom.

As Bob steered the boat toward St. Thomas, Lorelai and Luke watched St. John growing distant behind them. "Thus ends Operation Nekkid on the Beach," Lorelai sighed.

"I think it was successful," Luke said taking her hand in his.

"Yeah, mission accomplished," she said with a grin. "And now, back to frozen, frigid Stars Hollow with it's busted pipes, burnt inns, and missing friends," she said softly.

"Back to our family, our friends, our house and our lives," he said squeezing her hand. They rode in silence for a while. Finally, Luke asked, "Have you thought about it?"

"What?" she asked distractedly.

"Fran, the inn," he prompted gently.

Lorelai turned to look at him, and then sighed and said, "I'm a horrible person."

Luke wrapped his arm around her and said, "No, you're not."

"I loved Fran, she was a great lady," Lorelai said sincerely. "I'm gonna miss her."

Luke nodded and said firmly, "She wanted you and Sookie to have the Dragonfly."

"I can't think about that now, it seems wrong," Lorelai said with a frown.

"It's not wrong, it's what she wanted too," ha said gently. "Fran will be happy to know that the inn is in the hands of someone who will restore it and love it," he told her.

"Can we just not talk about it until, you know, after?" she asked. "I just, I don't know, maybe something will change," she said with a shrug.

"Like what?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe Fran has heirs after all, maybe they'd fight the will," she said nervously. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about it. I just want to say goodbye to our friend. The rest will sort itself out," she said dismissively.

"Okay, we won't talk about it now," he agreed, kissing her hand and letting it rest in his lap.

Bob took them directly to the terminal for private charters, and wished them well as he unloaded their luggage. Lorelai hugged him tightly and said, "I'm sorry to leave such a mess behind. Please give Jean our love and tell her that I will email her soon, okay?"

"You two have a safe trip home," Bob said gently. He turned and shook Luke's hand and said, "Enjoyed having you here. Quite the change from our usual guests," he said with a chuckle.

"Tell Jean we said goodbye and thank you," Luke said with a smile.

As they entered the terminal, they looked around at t loss for where to go. Finally, Lorelai approached an information desk, and they were directed to a private lounge for corporate travelers. Soon a crew member greeted them, and arranged to have their luggage brought to the plane. As they climbed the steps into the jet, Lorelai took a wistful look around. "We'll come back," Luke said softly.

"Promise?" she asked.

"Well, you have to make it through the first year, but I was thinking maybe for our anniversary," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai kissed him sweetly and said, "I love the way you think," as she turned to enter the plane.

The crew member made sure they were settled and comfortable. She informed them that they were waiting on one more passenger to board, and then they would be free to leave. About twenty minutes later, Lorelai was sipping a cup of coffee when a handsome man in a business suit bounded onto the plane, greeting the crew casually as he made his way toward Lorelai and Luke. He held out his hand to Lorelai with a slightly predatory smile and said, "Lorelai Gilmore, at last we finally meet."

Lorelai looked at him blankly and automatically answered, "Danes, its Danes now. Do I know you?" she asked.

The stranger shook his head and turned one of the chairs in front of Lorelai and Luke around to face them, and strapped himself in. "Mike Armstrong, the Durham Group," he said by way of introduction.

"Oh!" Lorelai said, realization dawning. "Thank you so much for helping us get home," she said sincerely.

"No problem at all," he said, his eyes fixed on Lorelai. "I'm happy to help out," he said sparing Luke a glance.

Luke cleared his throat and said, "Yes, thank you. I'm Luke Danes," he said as he held out his hand. Mike shook his hand perfunctorily, and then turned his attention back to Lorelai.

"Your father has mentioned your success at the Independence Inn several times over the years, I can't believe our paths haven't crossed before now," he said with a grin.

Lorelai blinked and said, "Oh, the Durham Group! You own hotels," she said as she finally made the connection.

Mike shrugged with false modesty and said, "Mainly smaller, boutique hotels and inns. That's what I was doing here. We were looking acquiring a property on St. Croix, but I could tell within the first few hours, that it wasn't a good fit for us. I had planned on being here a few days, but when your father called, I thought why waste the time?" he said with a chuckle.

"Wow, so you're heading back already," Lorelai said politely.

"Well, I wanted to meet you. I'm a big fan of the Independence Inn, and I've met Mia on a number of occasions," he said casually.

Lorelai frowned and asked, "Have you stayed at the Independence Inn?"

"A couple of times," Mike said with a smile. "I like to check out some of the local talent, so I try to keep a low profile. I was there about three months ago, you gave me tips on where to go antiquing," he said with a grin.

Luke sat back and watched the interaction with a scowl. He was so engrossed that he hardly noticed that they had taken off. He studied Mike Armstrong carefully. He was the type of man Emily Gilmore would have swooned over having for her daughter. Probably late forties, tall, good looking, immaculately clothed and groomed, articulate and polished. Luke nervously adjusted the blue cap on his head and glanced down at his worn t-shirt and jeans. He thought about the army jacket stashed in the compartment above them and cursed the fact that he hadn't brought his leather coat. He watched as Mike focused on Lorelai with laser precision and proceeded to flatter and admire her. Lorelai glanced over to see Luke tensely working his jaw, and took his hand, thinking that he was nervous about flying. Luke looked down to see her right hand entwined with his left, her fingers toying with his wedding band, and tried to will himself to relax.

As Mike continued to single mindedly monopolize the conversation, Lorelai became increasingly uncomfortable. "Your father told me about the fire, it's a shame," Mike said with a shake of his head. "We had actually just approached Mia with an offer to buy the place," he said casually.

"Really?" Lorelai asked, shocked that Mia hadn't mentioned it.

Mike nodded. "That's why I was there a few months ago. We usually scope out the inn itself and its management. Your chef is incredible, and I don't have to tell you that we were very impressed with how you ran the place," he said smugly.

"I had no idea that Mia had an offer on it," she said softly. When she realized what she said, she corrected herself. "I mean, she told me last year that she was thinking about selling, but she hadn't said anything more."

"She hadn't decided yet," Mike said casually. "Of course now, we have to wait to see what the extent of the fire damage is," he said as he pursed his lips and nodded slowly.

"Poor Mia," Lorelai said to Luke.

"She'll figure it out, you'll see," Luke said quietly.

"Anyway, we'll see, right?" Mike asked as he waved for the crew member to freshen his drink. "So, did you have a nice vacation?" he asked, his eyes never leaving Lorelai.

"Honeymoon," Luke corrected tersely.

"Oh, that's right, I guess Richard did mention that," Mike said as he sat back and eyed Luke appraisingly.

"Yes, and it was wonderful," Lorelai said, giving Luke's arm a squeeze.

"Well, congratulations to you both," he said lifting his glass. Luke would swear that he saw the unmistakable gleam of a challenge in the man's eyes. "Have you known each other long?" he asked casually.

"Years," Lorelai said with a laugh. "Luke was my best friend before we started dating," she said with quiet confidence. "Still is," she added quickly.

"That's nice," Mike said dismissively. "Do you know what you plan to do if Mia decides to sell the inn?" he asked abruptly.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes slightly and said simply, "I have a few plans."

"Well, we are always looking to recruit talent like yours, and your chef, what was her name again?" he asked.

"Sookie St. James," Lorelai supplied.

"Belleville," Luke added.

Lorelai giggled and said, "So many name changes this year."

"Love must be in the air in Stars Hollow," Mike said dryly. "And what do you do, uh, Luke?" Mike asked.

"I own a diner," Luke responded tersely.

"In Stars Hollow?" Mike asked.

"Yes," Luke answered.

"Is it that place with the hardware sign?" Mike asked, searching his memory.

"Yes," Luke answered again.

"Ah, yes. I stopped in for coffee after going twenty rounds with that Asian woman at the antiques shop," Mike said with a nod.

"Mrs. Kim," Lorelai supplied.

"Yes, you weren't kidding about her being a tough one," Mike said with a chuckle.

"I'd put my money on her any day," Luke said gruffly.

Lorelai glanced at Luke and then at Mike, finally picking up on the tension between them. She smiled at Mike sweetly and said, "Mrs. Kim doesn't approve of anyone, except maybe Luke. She likes Luke," she said nudging him with her elbow.

"Birds of a feather," Mike said under his breath.

Luke smiled and said, "Precisely."

Lorelai's eyes darted back and forth as she searched for a way out of this discussion. She yawned broadly, and then turned a blazing smile on Luke. "I'm exhausted," she said with a wink.

Luke tried not to laugh when he saw the irritation flit across Armstrong's face. He smiled genially and told their host, "We didn't get much sleep last night. We didn't know we'd be heading home so soon."

"If you guys don't mind, I think I'll try to grab a quick nap," Lorelai said innocently.

"Certainly," Mike said expansively. "There's a berth in the back if you want to stretch out," he offered.

"That would be great," Lorelai said with a grin. She unbuckled her seatbelt and said, "Come on, Hon, let's grab a cat nap," as she held her hand out for Luke's.

Luke couldn't resist flashing Mike a smug smile as her rose to follow Lorelai to the rear of the plane. Once the door to the room was closed behind them, he exploded. "That son of a bitch was hitting on you in front of me!" he said loudly.

"Shh!" she said covering his mouth with her hand. When Luke glared at her, she removed it slowly and said, "Keep it down, we're trapped here with him!"

"I want to strangle him," he hissed.

Lorelai blinked at him and asked, "Why? Do you think I'm interested?"

"No, but, he, I mean, you," he sputtered as Lorelai held up a hand to stop him.

"Think and choose your words carefully before you speak," Lorelai said in a low voice.

Luke blew out a breath and said, "I hate guys like that. They think they can have anything or anyone they want!"

"I know," Lorelai said gently. "But he can't have me," she said simply as she stretched out on the bed.

Luke sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's always gonna be like this. Guys look at you and then look at me and wonder how the hell I got you," he said in a defeated tone.

Lorelai looked up at him and said, "But you have me, and I have you. What do we care what anyone else thinks?" she asked.

He pointed toward the door and asked, "Has your mother met him? She must not have, 'cause that guy is everything she could have possibly dreamed up for you."

Lorelai nodded and said, "It's a good thing that I don't ask her to dream for me." She patted the bed beside her and Luke stretched out next to her, propped up on his elbow. Lorelai reached up and removed his cap so that she could stroke his hair. "You are everything that I dreamed for me," she said softly.

Luke closed his eyes for a moment, letting her words sink in. "I am a jealous husband," he said with a self deprecating smile.

"My jealous husband," she corrected. "And, that guy is an ass," she added with a laugh. "Thankfully, that ass has a plane to jet us home," she said softly. "To our home," she added.

"Our home," Luke repeated.

Lorelai grinned up at him and asked, "You want a little revenge?"

Luke quirked his brow at her and asked, "What do you mean?"

Lorelai grinned devilishly and asked, "Wanna join the mile high club?"

As they deplaned, they each thanked Mike sincerely for getting them to New York. "I really appreciate it," Lorelai said. "I never would have slept so well on a commercial flight," she said with a grin and a wink at Luke.

Mike graciously accepted their thanks, and made a hasty retreat, knowing full well what had gone on in that bedroom, and seething inwardly. Lorelai turned to Luke and said, "Come on, let's go home."

They pulled their luggage into the terminal, cleared their paperwork and went to find the driver that Richard had arranged to take them to Stars Hollow. When they arrived at the house after midnight, they were shocked to find a lamp burning in the living room. Luke unlocked the door and called, "Hello?" cautiously.

Rory popped up off of the couch and Jess sprang from the easy chair to greet. "You're home!" Rory cried with sleepy relief as she launched herself at Lorelai.

"We're home, kid. We're home," she said sending Luke a wink over Rory's shoulder as he gave Jess a gruff, manly hug.

"Its good to be home," Luke said with a smile.

"You're so tan," Rory said as she ducked her head to hug Luke.

"I know!" Lorelai said excitedly. "Doesn't he look great? Like a Greek god," she gushed.

"I'll unpack my toga later," Luke said dryly as he walked into the kitchen and began filling the coffee pot, knowing that bed would not come soon. "The diner okay?" he asked Jess over his shoulder.

"Everything is fine," Jess said dismissively.

"Jess," Luke said in a warning tone as he scooped grounds into a filter.

"You'll be up and over there at the crack of dawn, so you'll see. Everything is fine," he repeated.

"So you're just hanging out here, waiting for us?" Luke asked.

"I didn't think you'd want Rory here alone, and she was determined to be here to greet you, so I told Richard that I'd hang out here until you were home safe and sound," Jess said with a roll of his eyes.

"Thanks," Luke said as he pressed the button to start the coffee maker.

"You're welcome. Where's my present?" Jess asked with a cheeky grin.

Luke laughed and said, "You have been around these two too much," as Lorelai and Rory lowered themselves into their chairs without a break in the conversation. He placed empty mugs in front of each of them and said, "Breathe," as he placed his hand on Lorelai's shoulder.

She grinned up at him and said, "Thanks, I forgot about that." She turned back to Rory. "So did they do the whole killer rabbit thing? The holy hand grenade?" she asked Rory without missing a beat.