Disclaimer: Lorelai and Ed are being borrowed from Dorothy Parker Drank Here and Worldwide Pants. They will be returned, unharmed, eventually.
Lorelai pulled the Jeep into the driveway that night, and paused for a moment before turning off the engine. She got out of the car and slowly walked towards the porch, watching Ed stand up from the porch swing and walk toward the steps.
"You're stalking me," Lorelai accused gently
"Pretty much," he admitted. "I can draw up a restraining order for you, if you like." She smiled as she walked up the stairs and sat down, to which Ed followed suit. "So, how was dinner?"
"Oh, the usual. My dad practically fell asleep, my mom kept pestering me about my mood, and I pouted like a two year-old the whole time." Ed smiled sympathetically. "Look, Ed, I don't know what more I can do."
"Do what?" he asked.
"Convince you of how insane and unstable and completely wrong I am for you," Lorelai gushed. "I'm a total commitment-phobe and selfish-" She grabbed his arm, "Get out while you still can, Ed Stevens!"
Ed couldn't help but laugh a little. "It is so adorable when you do this!" he said, before leaning over and kissing her cheek.
"Do what?" she asked, frowning.
"Panic."
"And the fact that you have seen me wig out like this on three separate occasions goes to show how messed up I am!"
"Lorelai, why are you so scared?"
She glanced down at her hands. "Because you have to leave. And I don't feel like getting hurt again." She turned to face Ed. "A few weeks ago, Rory's dad and I started getting really close again. But then he found out his girlfriend was pregnant and he left, again."
"I'm sorry," Ed said quietly.
"No, I'm okay. I just don't want this to get too heavy. Because I already…I already care about you a lot."
"I care about you too."
"So let's stop before either of us care too much." Lorelai leaned in to kiss him, placing her hand gently on his neck. After a few seconds, she pulled away, and went inside.
"Sorry to call so early, Molly," Ed spoke quietly from the phone in his hotel room. "I just wanted to let you know that I'd be coming home today."
"Really? The open-road stopped beckoning, huh?" Molly asked.
Ed smiled a little. "Sort of."
"Did something happen with Lori?"
"You mean Lorelai?" Ed asked, then sighed lightly. "I guess you were right, Molls."
"I'm sorry, Eddy," she said sincerely.
"Yeah, well, I'll see you this evening I guess."
"Bye, Ed."
Lorelai was still lying in bed when the phone rang, but she had been awake most the morning. "Hello?"
"Hi, Mom, are you up?" Rory asked.
"Yeah, I'm up," Lorelai said as she sat up a little. "How's my little politician?"
"Fine, we're going to the Senate this morning."
"That sounds…boring, but try to have fun."
"Are you alright, Mom?"
"I'm fine."
"It's your first day of vacation, right?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry we couldn't go on our road-trip like we were planning."
Lorelai had forgotten that before the Washington D.C. summer, she and Rory were planning on using this week to visit Harvard to take a guided tour, and shop in New York, and have lobster in Maine, and just drive around for the week. "Oh. It's alright, babe."
"It would have been great," Rory admitted.
"I know."
"What are you going to do instead?"
"I guess just hang around the house, get really fat, and have Jerry Springer air-lift me to a weight-loss clinic."
"Well, at least you have Ed to keep you company," Rory mentioned.
"Oh. Right," Lorelai said flatly.
"Oh, no."
"What?"
"You broke up with him already?"
"Rory, we weren't together."
"I thought you really liked him."
"I do…did."
"Then why would you end it?"
"Rory, he has to go back to Ohio, and I have to stay here and wait for you."
"No, you don't. You have to go with him."
"What?" Lorelai asked him.
"He was already on a road-trip, why don't you ask to tag along? I won't be home until the end of July, you can go!"
"Rory, I am not going on the road with a strange man."
"You know him now."
"What if he's been fooling me all this time and is a really good liar and this is how he lures women into his clutches and then goes Jeffery Dahmer on them?" Lorelai asked.
"I see your imagination is in perfect working order."
"Rory-"
"Paris, I'm coming!" Rory suddenly yelled. "Mom, the bus is leaving, I have to go. I'll call you on your cell phone later. Just go!"
Lorelai heard the dial tone, and hung up the phone. She shook her head, knowing that Rory's plan was irrational. Ed was probably already gone.
She sat up quickly as she thought it again: what if he was already gone? Lorelai threw off the covers and began rushing around her bedroom to find clothes.
Ed walked into the diner and over to the counter. "Coffee to go?" he asked Luke, then glanced around as if he was looking for something.
"You're not meeting Lorelai?" Luke asked.
Ed looked back at Luke. "No, I'm leaving today."
"Oh."
Ed watched Luke make change. "Take care of her, alright?" he asked.
"What?" Luke asked, but Ed only smiled as he took his coffee and walked outside.
Ed walked around the corner to where he had parked his car, but stopped when he saw Lorelai standing next to the car holding a travel bag.
She smiled meekly. "Hi."
"Hi. I didn't expect to see you again," he said slowly, as he walked closer. He glanced down at her bag again. "What's going on?"
"Can I come with you?"
"What?"
"I had a sudden desire to see America's heartland, starting with Ohio," she explained.
"Are you serious?" Ed asked and watched her nod. "You want to come with me to Ohio?"
"I have to take a flight back in a week, bear in mind, but yes. If you want me to."
That trademark Ed smile that Lorelai had grown so used to seeing and loving appeared. "Of course! I would love to have you come with me!" He took her bag and opened the door for her. Once she was inside, and her bag was in the back, Ed climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. He glanced over at Lorelai once more. "You're sure?"
She took a deep breath before turning towards him. She kissed him quickly and smiled. "You can take that as a yes."
Author's Note: There will be more, just be patient. And keep reading my stuff!