Author: Lauren
Email: artista317@yahoo.com
Pairing: L/L
Summary: A drunk driver takes the life of someone close to Luke. Lorelai vows to help him get through it. In doing so, their relationship takes an unexpected turn.
Rating: I'm going to say PG 13, for now, at least.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (except Dr. Schillace), nor am I in connection with the people (Amy Sherman-Pallidino and whoever else) that do.
Author's note: This is my third GG fanfic (okay, I've only *finished* one, so far, not including this one), but I'm still trying to capture the characters in my writing (and since this is a tragic fanfic there is less wit, in the beginning), so bear with me. Feedback will only make me a better writer, so please submit a review! *Constructive* criticism is welcomed. (Also, the main title is taken from Oasis' song "Don't Go Away," from their CD *Be Here Now*, Rachel's last name—which was not given on the show—was created by using the actress's real last name: Hadley, and to indicate italics—since for some reason they won't upload—I'm using stars: *.)
__________
Don't Go Away
Part 1: Alone
All she knew was that it was cold. Inside and out she was cold. There was no pain. Suddenly, everything was dark. She would wake a half an hour later, lying on the icy asphalt, a blanket covering her. She could feel that she was getting colder.
She could hear sirens. There were red and blue lights swirling around her. A man came up beside her and touched the side of her neck before calling another man and mumbling, to him, some words she couldn't make out. They left her for a moment. She closed her eyes and before long she was drowning in the darkness again. But, this time she knew she wouldn't wake up.
__________
"I have a full house, Aces over Jacks. I win." Lorelai said, triumphantly. She was sitting at the counter; Luke was standing across from her. She took a long sip of coffee.
"That was the last hand."
"Fine, you owe me…twelve dollars…or four free coffees…your choice."
He reached for his wallet. "Here. I would never give you free coffee…it's going to kill you someday."
"Well, we all have to die sometime, don't we?"
It was then the phone rang. In less time that it took to say it, Lorelai would regret that statement. Luke answered and she half-listened to his end of the conversation. "Hello? Yes, I am Luke Danes. Who is this? Yeah… What? Is she all right?" He looked towards Lorelai, "Where is she?" He scribbled something down on a pad of paper. "Yeah… I'll be right there." He hung up the phone and turned back to face her. "You have to go."
"What? What's going on, Luke?"
"Uh… Rachel…"
"Okay, you're going to need to make a little more sense." He walked away to grab his coat. When he returned, he was awkwardly looking around.
"There was an accident near Hartford… A drunk driver… Rachel was…" He stopped moving for a moment, "Where are my damn keys?"
"Oh, Luke," she said, softly. "Where is she?"
"Uh…the hospital in Hartford…here they are!" He looked at Lorelai, "You need to go."
"Luke—"
"I'll see you tomorrow." He walked with her towards the front door and, when they went outside, he locked it.
"I-I'm so sorry." She whispered.
"Goodnight, Lorelai." He answered, walking the opposite way. Lorelai could see the pain in his eyes. She knew that if she hadn't been there, he probably would have cried or yelled, or *something*…she knew there would have been some emotion to his words and actions.
She watched him get into his truck and drive away.
__________
"Excuse me, Mr. Danes?" Luke looked up. A doctor was standing before him, his face held a solemn expression. "Hello. I am Dr. Schillace." He extended his hand. Luke stood and shook it. "Would you please step into the other room with me for a moment?" The doctor nodded towards a small room towards the front of the waiting room. Luke went in silence.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Danes, but Ms. Hadley [A/N: If you didn't read the author's note at the beginning of this fan fic, I'm using "Hadley" for Rachel's last name, as it's the last name of the actress who portrayed her] was suffering from serious complications and paramedics were not able to revive her. She was announced dead on arrival," the doctor said slowly. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Luke murmured, almost inaudibly, as Dr. Schillace left.
__________
Alone, inside his truck, with no one to see him, no one to care, Luke let himself succumb to his emotions. He leaned his head back against the cool leather and listened to his breathing. *Rachel is gone. Rachel, your incredible, beautiful Rachel, has been taken away,* he thought. "Why couldn't it have been me?!" He suddenly yelled, hitting the wheel with the heel of his hand. *She had so much life in her…why was it her?* The thoughts circled through his head, *God, why couldn't I have, at least, had the chance to tell her that I loved her? Damn it! Why her? Why her?*
Email: artista317@yahoo.com
Pairing: L/L
Summary: A drunk driver takes the life of someone close to Luke. Lorelai vows to help him get through it. In doing so, their relationship takes an unexpected turn.
Rating: I'm going to say PG 13, for now, at least.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (except Dr. Schillace), nor am I in connection with the people (Amy Sherman-Pallidino and whoever else) that do.
Author's note: This is my third GG fanfic (okay, I've only *finished* one, so far, not including this one), but I'm still trying to capture the characters in my writing (and since this is a tragic fanfic there is less wit, in the beginning), so bear with me. Feedback will only make me a better writer, so please submit a review! *Constructive* criticism is welcomed. (Also, the main title is taken from Oasis' song "Don't Go Away," from their CD *Be Here Now*, Rachel's last name—which was not given on the show—was created by using the actress's real last name: Hadley, and to indicate italics—since for some reason they won't upload—I'm using stars: *.)
__________
Don't Go Away
Part 1: Alone
All she knew was that it was cold. Inside and out she was cold. There was no pain. Suddenly, everything was dark. She would wake a half an hour later, lying on the icy asphalt, a blanket covering her. She could feel that she was getting colder.
She could hear sirens. There were red and blue lights swirling around her. A man came up beside her and touched the side of her neck before calling another man and mumbling, to him, some words she couldn't make out. They left her for a moment. She closed her eyes and before long she was drowning in the darkness again. But, this time she knew she wouldn't wake up.
__________
"I have a full house, Aces over Jacks. I win." Lorelai said, triumphantly. She was sitting at the counter; Luke was standing across from her. She took a long sip of coffee.
"That was the last hand."
"Fine, you owe me…twelve dollars…or four free coffees…your choice."
He reached for his wallet. "Here. I would never give you free coffee…it's going to kill you someday."
"Well, we all have to die sometime, don't we?"
It was then the phone rang. In less time that it took to say it, Lorelai would regret that statement. Luke answered and she half-listened to his end of the conversation. "Hello? Yes, I am Luke Danes. Who is this? Yeah… What? Is she all right?" He looked towards Lorelai, "Where is she?" He scribbled something down on a pad of paper. "Yeah… I'll be right there." He hung up the phone and turned back to face her. "You have to go."
"What? What's going on, Luke?"
"Uh… Rachel…"
"Okay, you're going to need to make a little more sense." He walked away to grab his coat. When he returned, he was awkwardly looking around.
"There was an accident near Hartford… A drunk driver… Rachel was…" He stopped moving for a moment, "Where are my damn keys?"
"Oh, Luke," she said, softly. "Where is she?"
"Uh…the hospital in Hartford…here they are!" He looked at Lorelai, "You need to go."
"Luke—"
"I'll see you tomorrow." He walked with her towards the front door and, when they went outside, he locked it.
"I-I'm so sorry." She whispered.
"Goodnight, Lorelai." He answered, walking the opposite way. Lorelai could see the pain in his eyes. She knew that if she hadn't been there, he probably would have cried or yelled, or *something*…she knew there would have been some emotion to his words and actions.
She watched him get into his truck and drive away.
__________
"Excuse me, Mr. Danes?" Luke looked up. A doctor was standing before him, his face held a solemn expression. "Hello. I am Dr. Schillace." He extended his hand. Luke stood and shook it. "Would you please step into the other room with me for a moment?" The doctor nodded towards a small room towards the front of the waiting room. Luke went in silence.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Danes, but Ms. Hadley [A/N: If you didn't read the author's note at the beginning of this fan fic, I'm using "Hadley" for Rachel's last name, as it's the last name of the actress who portrayed her] was suffering from serious complications and paramedics were not able to revive her. She was announced dead on arrival," the doctor said slowly. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Luke murmured, almost inaudibly, as Dr. Schillace left.
__________
Alone, inside his truck, with no one to see him, no one to care, Luke let himself succumb to his emotions. He leaned his head back against the cool leather and listened to his breathing. *Rachel is gone. Rachel, your incredible, beautiful Rachel, has been taken away,* he thought. "Why couldn't it have been me?!" He suddenly yelled, hitting the wheel with the heel of his hand. *She had so much life in her…why was it her?* The thoughts circled through his head, *God, why couldn't I have, at least, had the chance to tell her that I loved her? Damn it! Why her? Why her?*