It was strange. Luke and Lorelai had been friends forever but yet, he still felt like he was falling in love with her all over again every time he saw her. And when he didn't see her for a whole day, he felt a little ache in his heart. He felt like bringing her flowers (he did that once, but then changed to marshmallows) and holding her hand...and all that gushy romance stuff that he used to say was stupid. But now he understood why some people did it. It was the other person who inspired you to do silly romantic things. And Lorelai made him want to do those things..

Luke pulled into her driveway.

He took a deep breath and checked his pocket for the box.

'This is it,' He thought and got out of his car.

********************************

DING DONG!

"There's your Prince Charming, Mom!" Rory called up the stairs.

A harried Lorelai came running down the stairs. She was wearing a simple black dress with her tear drop earrings and a Y-shaped necklace.

"Aww, Mom, you look great!"

Lorelai smiled. "I'm kinda nervous...zipper?"

Rory zippered up her dress and handed her her handbag.

"It's Luke, whom you've known for years."

"I know, but this is like the first time we've gone out like all dolled up and stuff." Lorelai said. "I'll be home by midnight..."

"K, I'll send out the search groups at 1 am," Rory said and ushered her mom out of the living room. "I want details!" 'She obviously hasn't heard anything about Luke's big plans...,' Rory thought.

Lorelai smiled and opened the front door for Luke.

********************************

"Wow." Luke gaped at the beautiful woman standing in front of him. 'What did I do to deserve this, God?'

Lorelai smiled shyly and opened the door wider so Luke could come in. "You look pretty hot yourself." She smiled at him, all dressed up in suit and tie.

"I didn't know you owned a suit."

"It's the bank suit, you know the one I wear to the bank."

Lorelai nodded.

"When you say hot.. do you mean Brad-Pitty hot?"

Lorelai laughed. "Only you and Brad Pitt are Brad-Pitty hot."

Luke smiled.

"You want to come in for a sec?"

Luke looked at his watch. "I think we should get going."

Lorelai waved goodbye to Rory and stepped out. "Let's go."

"Have fun you kiddies!" Rory called out.

They waved to her. Luke took Lorelai's hand and led her to the car.

"You rented a car!" Lorelai said and looked up at him with a surprised look on his face. "What's the occassion?"

"Leave-your-truck-at-home day?" Luke joked and opened the passenger door for her.

Lorelai snorted and got into the car. Luke closed the door.

"Wow, Luke," Lorelai said and turned to him. "You went all out for this..."

Luke shrugged sheepishly. "I thought you might like it.."

"I love it," Lorelai said and leaned in for a kiss.

They were interrupted by a rapping on the driver's side.

Luke and Lorelai broke apart to see Jess standing there. "You two stop making out and go already?" He said in an annoyed tone.

Luke gave him a scowl and turned on the engine. "Have fun!" Jess said grinning and waved to them.

********************************

Luke pulled up in front of a restuarant.

"They don't serve hamburgers here, do they?" Lorelai said jokingly. 'Why is he doing all this?'

Luke smiled. "You could ask." Lorelai had been unusually quiet during the card ride. Luke had attempted to make conversation, but she had just seemed interested in looking out the window. Besides a couple of Lorelai-esque "Are we there yet?"s, she hadn't talked much.

Luke and Lorelai got out of the car and entered the restuarant.

"Reservation for Danes," Luke said. The host nodded and took them to a table. The restuarant was beautiful; little twinkling lights decorated the entire premise.

"I can't read the menu," Lorelai whispered to Luke after they were seated.

"Try the escargot," Luke said.

Lorelai made a face. "Good try, but no. I know what that is..." She rolled her eyes.

"Lobster?"

"Don't they serve anything not in a shell or slimey?" Lorelai asked biting her lip.

"And on a bun?" Luke asked smiling.

"You read my mind," Lorelai said.

Luke reached across the table and put his hand on top of hers. "Just call me Ms. Cleo."

Lorelai laughed. "Okay. You order whatever you want and make it two."

Luke looked up at her. "Are you sure?" Luke held back his disappointment. He had wanted this to be the perfect evening.. but he had obviously picked the wrong restuarant.

"Yeah, and Luke..," Lorelai started. She had noticed a look flash across his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I love this...," She said and smiled slowly. 'He tried so hard to make this perfect.'

'God, I love you,' Luke thought as he looked at the woman sitting across from him. He smiled and when the waiter came, he ordered.

***********************************

"This is pretty good...," Lorelai said as she took another bite of her meal. Luke nodded and smiled. 'Whew.'

"Oh, by the way...," Luke said. "NSYNC wanted to come but they couldn't because Justin was having a hairspray emergency."

Lorelai smiled. "Well, that might actually be a good thing because otherwise, Justin and I would be having a 'who's more beautiful' contest right now."

"I think you would have won," Luke said adoringly.

"Flattering will get you nowhere, mister," Lorelai said scolding him.

Luke smiled slyly. "And not flattering will?"

Lorelai giggled. "Depends on where you're going.."

Just as Luke was about to talk, they were interrupted.

"Lorelai?"

"Michel?"

Lorelai looked up at Michel, who had a woman with him.

"Wait a minute... Michel, I thought you were gay!"

Michel looked at her wide-eyed. "I am not!" He said angrily.

His date looked at the two.

"Hi, I'm Lorelai, you must be his therapist?" Lorelai extended a hand to Michel's date.

She ignored Lorelai and turned to Michel. "You're gay?"

"You're a therapist?" Michel asked her.

Lorelai looked at Luke with a look of alarm. 'Oops..' "Uh, guys, I was kidding about both."

Michel and his date looked at each other.

"Uh.. I think it's time we left...," Luke interrupted.

Lorelai nodded, a little too eagerly. "Sorry, see you later!"

As Luke and Lorelai were leaving, Michel mouthed to her, 'I despise you.'

Lorelai grinned back winningly. 'Me too,' She mouthed.

Luke rolled his eyes and dragged her out of the restuarant.

*********************************

'Eight o'clock,' Luke said as he looked at the clock in the car. 'Hope I'm not late..'

Lorelai was puzzled about this whole thing. She was enjoying all the frou-frou, but she didn't understand it at all.

Luke popped in a CD. The strains of Bing Crosby came through the speakers.

"Christmas music!" Lorelai said happily and clapped her hands. "You are so good, Lukey."

Luke smiled at her child-like joy.

Have yourself.. a merry little Christmas... Bing Crosby crooned.

"I love this song!" She said excitedly and looked at him.

"I thought you would...even though it's June," Luke said and concentrated on the road.

**********************************

As they entered Star's Hollow, Lorelai noticed that the gazebo was completely lit up in twinkling Christmas lights.

"What's going on?" Lorelai said and strained to get a better look. She pulled down the window and stuck her head out.

"Whoa, whoa," Luke said and pulled her back in. "That's dangerous."

Lorelai reluctantly poked her head back in and pouted.

Luke smiled. "We'll be there soon."

He pulled the car in front of his diner and parked it.

Lorelai hopped out of the car and looked at the crowd, who in turn was looking at Luke and Lorelai.

"What's going on? A fundraiser I haven't heard of?" Lorelai asked Patty. Patty shrugged.

"Are we going to buy another tarp for the bridge?" Lorelai asked Taylor. Taylor shook his head no.

"Rory! Help me here!" Lorelai called out to her daughter, who was standing next to Jess. Rory smiled but didn't say anything.

"Okay...," Lorelai said and turned back to Luke, who standing with his hands in his pockets.

"Um.. Luke?"

Luke just smiled and gave her an indication to look at the gazebo.

Lane, Dave, Zach, and Brian were standing there with their instruments.

"Umm.. okay?" Lorelai said, puzzled. "Why do I feel like I'm having a crazy-psycho moment and soon I'm going to wake up?"

Luke just smiled. "Look."

Lorelai turned around to look at the band.

They started to play.

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling

Do you feel my heart beating

Do you understand

Do you feel the same

Am I only dreaming

Is this burning an eternal flame

"I love this song! Although, I must say, I've never heard a guy sing it before... or a guy sing that high...," Lorelai said and turned to look at Luke. He looked at her with an intense gaze.

"Umm.. Luke? This is usually where you snort or grunt," Lorelai said and put a hand on Luke's arm.

'This is it,' Luke thought and slowly took out the little box that had been burning a hole in his pocket all night.

Luke got down on one knee and opened the little box to reveal a glimmering diamond.

I believe it's meant to be, darling

"Oh my God," Lorelai said and put a hand to her mouth.

I watch you when you are sleeping

"Lorelai..."

You belong with me

"Oh my God."

Do you feel the same?

Luke took a deep breath. The entire crowd seemed to be watching them. Luke kneeled in the middle of the street, and Lorelai with a shocked expression on her face.

Am I only dreaming

"Ask her already!" Jess called out.

Or is this burning an eternal flame?

".. Will you marry me?" Luke asked, looking up at the woman he loved.

Lorelai started to cry.

"Oh, God, I didn't want to...," Luke said nervously and started to get up.

"No," Lorelai said between sobs. "Don't get up."

Luke got back down. "Sorry.. Lorelai.. I...." He felt like this was a mistake, as he looked at the eagerly waiting crowd and his crying girlfriend.

Luke bit his lip and started to close the little box. This wasn't how he'd imagined it at all...

"Yes, I'll marry you, silly! I love you!" Lorelai said in between tears and flung her arms around his neck.

A smile that was wider than Barney the Purple Dinosaur's butt spread across Luke's face [AN: haha I know that sounded weird.. hehe].

He wrapped his arms around Lorelai and kissed her deeply.

"Awwwww," everyone said. Babette and Patty dabbed their eyes.

".. that was the most romantic thing...," Babette sobbed.

Suddenly, a loud voice broke through the 'aww'ing and 'ooh'ing.

"DO I HEAR ROCK MUSIC?"

Everyone turned around to see a very angry Mamma Kim.

The drumming stopped and a hysterical Lane ran across the circle.

"LANE!"

"Uh oh," Lorelai said, wiping her tears away.

*********************************

There was a huge crowd of people surrounding the gazebo. Everyone was dancing as the band - sans Lane - played. Poor Dave looked upset.

Luke leaned his forehead against hers as they danced their first as an engaged couple. He mouthed the words to her and she giggled as they danced.

Is this burning.. an eternal flame?

'Yes.' Lorelai mouthed back.

Luke entwined his hand in hers. "I love you."

"I love you...," Lorelai said and pulled him in for a kiss.

*********************************

Wow, reading that was like walkign through some really wet snow, rite?

Smush, smush.. hehe.. awww I know I wrote this but.. I was on the verge of tears when Luke asked her to marry him.. OMG why doesnt something happen b/t them on teh show?

Argh.. i'm mad at the writers. but the truth is, nothing's gonna happen until the ratings start to go down.. Mean. x(

Neways.. that concludes my story, THANK YOU guys SOOO much for reading/reviewing.. you guys are AWESOME!

-Ggirl

P.S. There will be an epilogue (ch. 30, to round off the number of chapters to a nice, even number).. =) Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!