A/N. Wow what a slacker am I. I have no excuses except I lost the plot still a bit to go before I get this wrapped up but hopefully not too much longer. Thanks for reviews and support. Feedback would be great. I would like to get back into writing and spend a bit of time with it. I would also like to do more stories so I hope you guys like this one. Well, enjoy…and if you don't let me know what you are looking for and I will try to cater to your reading requirements Thanks

Luke paced up and down the aisles of the gift shop. He felt lost. What was the protocol for going to visit your injured friend whom you were secretly in love with? Was that stuffed toys or flowers? Rolling his eyes in frustration he grabbed what was closest, paid, and stormed out of the shop. The anger helped. He was going to do this now. He had to.

Lorelai woke with a start as the door to her room slammed open. Startled, she peered with bleary eyes at the lone figure looming in the doorway. Terror filled her as her mind replayed images from 'that night'.

"Lorelai?" Came a concerned voice.

"Luke?" Incredulous at his entry, Lorelai could hardly control her relief and anger. Relief…well that was for obvious reasons…anger, well that was for the way the bastard had just scared 10 years off her life.

"Luke, what the hell do you think your doing? Placing her hand over her heart, she tried to bring her breathing back under control

"Umm," Luke suddenly felt very foolish. He had obviously scared her. Even if he hadn't noticed her sudden pallor, you would have to be an idiot not to notice the sudden increase in beeping from a near by heart monitor. And that's just how he felt...like an idiot. How could he have been so stupid. How could he have thought it would be ok for him to just start barging round slamming things. With all that she had been through, it was no wonder she was jumpy, hell. He would be as well. And here he was stumbling around making things worse.

"Well are you going to come all the way in or just stand in the hall like a stunned deer?" Now it was Luke's turn to be startled. Broken from his review on his careless actions, he turned his attention back to Lorelai. Suddenly his intended proclamation stuck in his throat. His intentions fuelled by anger and frustration over the entire situation suddenly dwindled in the face of his embarrassment. Reluctantly ignoring the sudden urge to turn and flee from the room, Luke entered the room. But that's about as far as he got. Once he was actually in the room with the door closed behind him…he didn't know what to do.

Lorelai watched as Luke continued to stand awkwardly at the side of her bed.

"So… Luke…hows it going?" Lorelai wasn't sure what to make of Luke's behaviour. He seemed sort of breathless and nervous. She knew he didn't like hospitals but he looked ready to run.

"Err, good. Good. And you?"

Lorelai looked at him incredulously.

"Umm, I've been better." Came her sarcastic reply.

This comment seemed to jolt Luke out of his daze.

"What? Oh, um…I'm sorry. How are you feeling?" Finally Luke moved towards the side of the bed. He went to remove his hat and suddenly found his face full of flowers. With a clutter, he dropped the items in his arms. Embarrassed Luke knelt down to retrieve the things he had dropped. Lorelai watched as Luke disappeared from her view.

"I um…I got you some things. I thought you might like them." She was still unable to see any of Luke except the occasional glimpse of his arm as he placed item after item onto the bed.

Lorelai watched as the pile mounted…and mounted. She hadn't realised just how much Luke had brought with him. When he placed the latest copy of Hoofs and Horns and a packet of disposable razors on the bed Lorelai couldn't contain herself any longer. She let forth a raucous laughter, startling Luke who bumped his head on the side of the bed. This only caused Lorelai to laugh more. Sheepishly, Luke popped his head over the side of the bed. His face turning a particularly deep shade of red.

"I…um, I wasn't sure what to get you… I guess I just grabbed"

"One of everything." Lorelai interrupted with a smirk. Seeing Luke go an even deeper shade of red she stopped laughing.

"Thanks Luke, that's really sweet. And I needed more…" randomly Lorelai picked something from the pile on her bed, "travel sickness tablets. Ooo, and they are the natural ginger ones. Good choice." Lorelai smiled at Luke.

"Are you making fun of me?" Luke questioned. He wasn't sure. If he listened to the words he suspected he was being mocked but the sincerity in which she said it made him think differently. And she was a bit of an odd one. With Lorelai Gilmore it wouldn't really surprise him if she was genuinely excited to receive travel sickness tablets…and ginger ones at that. Without even realising it he found himself smiling at the prospect of having a lifetime to figure out this bizarrely complicated woman.

"What are you smiling at?"

"What?" Luke hadn't thought it was possible for his face to get any redder but apparently being caught day dreaming about a like with Lorelai was enough to do it.

"Your smiling. You looked, I don't know, far away…like you were thinking about something. What were you thinking about?"

Luke looked at the smile on Lorelai's face. He knew that she was making fun of him but to see the sparkle back in her eyes made it worth while.

"Do you really want to know?" he bantered playfully, a smile lingering on his face.

This sudden switch from shy embarrassed, red faced Luke to playful Luke was a new development and put Lorelai on her guard. Her curiosity piqued and her unwillingness to back down however had her answering with an eager nod.

"Ok. Lorelai…" He took a deep breath. It was now or never. He figured that if things didn't go how he wanted he could always blame the incident as a hallucination of hers. She was still on some pretty good painkillers from what he had been told. "Umm, We have known each other for a long time now."

Luke paused, seemingly lost momentarily for words. Lorelai wasn't exactly sure where he was heading with this comment or what she was suppose to do with it.

"Yes…?" Lorelai prompted when the silence stretched it seemed for a moment that Luke had forgotten what he was saying. Not only what he was saying but that Lorelai was even in the room with him.

His eyes drawn back to Lorelai he continued.

"Uh, sorry. We have know each other for a long time now and we have been friends for a long time too." His eyes slipped from her face and locked onto the hospital blanket that he was twisting tightly in his hands. Why was he finding this so hard?" Better to get it all out quick…like ripping off a bandaid.

"All this time that we have been friends…"

"Now put that one over there and leave that one on the sill by the window. Daisies like the sun. Oh and make sure that the nurses know the watering schedule. I will not have my daughters room filled with wilting flowers."

"Mum! What are you doing?"