Author: JavaJunkieAngel

Title: Down To You

Summary: When a new guy comes to Stars Hollow, he hits things off with Lorelai. They seem like the perfect couple, and Luke is happy for them. Ha! Yeah right.

Pairings: Luke/Lorelai Lane/Dave (undertones) Rory/Jess (a little bit) Lorelai/Charlie Luke/Nicole

Spoilers: About the whole Rory is going to be valedictorian, that's going to happen on the show, but I came up with the idea before I read the spoiler.

Author's Note: Yay, finally get to chapter ten! I'm skipping a month in the story and now it's Rory's graduation. Enjoy!

* * *

Rory stood in front in the large mirror, all dressed up for her graduation. Jess still wasn't there, she sighed and went off to look for her mom. "He's not coming." Rory said when she found Lorelai.

"Don't worry babe, he's going to come."

The Chilton auditorium was filled with the families of the graduating senior class. She took her seat on stage next to Headmaster Charleston and looked at the crowd. She was nervous about giving her speech in front of all these people. The next thing she knew, Headmaster Charleston stood up and the ceremony began. Rory was announced to go up and she stood up and faced the audience.

"Thank you Headmaster Charleston. Today my classmates and I are ready to end one part of lives and begin another. We have spent all our lives preparing for this moment and now it has finally arrived. My years spent at Chilton were the most memorable years that I would always remember. The teachers here have taught us the lessons that prepared us for the real world. Those lessons were the most important piece of advice that they could ever give us. They gave us words of encouragement and hope. The best of friends were made here, friends that we might never see until our high school reunion. But those friends helped us though the toughest of times and through the greatest of times. By this time next year we would have probably finished our first years of college and now have an acknowledgeable amount of experience about living without our parents and how to depend on our own selves. We will no longer be called upperclassmen next year since it will be our first year in college, but we will be able to communicate with intelligent students that hopefully share the same dream we share, to make something out of ourselves. Chilton is a place to start that dream and today we have to make that dream become a reality. I would like to say congratulations to the graduating class of 2003, and the best wishes to all of them" Rory said. The audience clapped, and Rory smiled, her speech was a success. She sat back down and saw her mom was crying a little.

Headmaster Charleston called out the names of the graduating class, when he neared 'Gilmore' Rory was nervous.

"Lorelai Gilmore." Headmaster Charleston proudly said, Rory stood up got faced the crowd and got her diploma. In the audience Lorelai smiled and thought, 'My baby's going to Yale.'

* * *

"That was nice, wasn't it nice mom?" Lorelai said to her mother when the graduation was done.

"It was short." Emily replied "Yeah, well you know how it is, I mean it wasn't that short."

"Look, there's Rory!" Emily said

"Hey sweetie how's my little graduate?" Lorelai asked hugging Rory

"Hungry, let's go to the Inn!"

"Okay, but you have to say hi to your boyfriend first."

Rory turned around and saw Jess leaning on the doorframe. She went up to him and smiled, "You made it."

"Yeah, I did it took me an hour to dress up for this thing but I made it."

"You didn't have to dress up."

"I know, but look at all these people I mean I would feel out of place."

"Never bothered you before."

"Want to go? I'm starved."

* * *

"Okay everyone, I just want to say thank you for coming and to propose a toast to my beautiful, intelligent, and brilliant daughter, Rory!" Lorelai proudly said at the graduation. Rory blushed a little and the party continued on. The party was held at the Inn and all of Stars Hollow attended, Kirk was by the buffet table watching very carefully if anyone double dipped, Lane was the DJ, playing all of Rory's favorite songs, and Luke was sitting at a table talking to Nicole, the two looked very comfortable which made Lorelai uncomfortable.

"Having a good time?" Lorelai asked when she stopped by Luke and Nicole's table.

"Yeah, it's great." Luke said

"You're so lucky to have a daughter that's going to an Ivy League school." Nicole added

"Thank you. Well I got to go see you guys later." Lorelai said giving Nicole one of her best fake smiles. She wandered off to the main entrance of the Inn and saw that Charlie was standing near the doorframe. "Hey, the party's in there." Lorelai said pointing to where the party was being held.

"I know but I just wandered off here."

"What a coincidence so did I."

"So you and Rory are leaving for Europe tomorrow?" Charlie asked

"Yeah, exploring the wonders of Europe."

"How long until you're coming back?"

"Two months, three tops."

"Two months without you? Guess I can spend time with my other girlfriend." Charlie said sarcastically

"Yeah I guess so." Lorelai said kissing Charlie. They kissed for about a few moments when they heard someone clearing their throat. Lorelai looked up and saw Nicole and Luke were standing in front of them, holding hands. "You're kind of blocking the way." Luke said

"Oh, you're leaving?" Lorelai asked

"I'm just dropping Nicole off, I'll probably be back later." Luke replied

"Okay then." Lorelai said getting out of the way. Luke and Nicole headed out the door, while Lorelai and Charlie talked. "So when Rory leaves for college what're you going to do?" Charlie asked

"What do you mean?"

"I mean are you going to live in your house still?"

"Charlie, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you living in with me after you come back from Europe."

"In Hartford?"

"No in Boston."

"Boston?"

"I'm getting transferred to Boston, I'll be working at a school there and I don't want to risk us breaking up so I want to live with me. I know that we've only been going out for a few months but I really like you."

"I have to think about it, talk with Rory a bit but I'll get back to you okay?"

"Okay, well I have to go see you soon okay?"

"Yeah, see you."

* * *

"Mom? Are you okay?" Rory asked after the party. Only a few people remained, Luke was one of them.

"Yeah, just fine. A little tired."

"We better clean up fast since we have an early flight tomorrow."

"Oh yeah I have to check with Luke about the plans for tomorrow." Lorelai said standing up and walking towards where Luke was sitting. "Hey." Lorelai said

"Um hi, so do you need help with cleaning up?"

"Yeah, thanks. So our flight is at 8:00, which is like 5:00 for Rory and me so we'll go to the diner?"

"With your suitcases?"

"So you'll come by our house?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay then."

"About Nicole and I interrupting you and Charlie before," Luke started

"It's okay I mean you needed to get out."

"Yeah, so no hard feeling between the four of us?"

"Yeah. So does Nicole still hate me?"

"She doesn't hate you I mean are you talking about what I said when you stayed over?"

"Yes I guess I sort of am."

"She still feels uncomfortable around you but that's pretty much it, I guess that's because she sees us always talking and she gets ideas."

"What kind of ideas?"

"You know that we like each other but we're too stupid to realize it."

"Oh, that stuff."

"Yeah the things that everyone in town keeps telling us."

"So we better get starting in cleaning right?"

"Yeah we should."

* * *

"Mom! Luke is here!" Rory called from the stairs.

"That's nice honey." Lorelai replied sleepily.

"Luke, can you try?" Rory said turning to Luke.

"Sure, mind if I go up?"

"Not at all."

Luke went up the stairs and went into Lorelai's room; her suitcase was all ready to go. He spotted her sleeping happily.

"Lorelai." Luke said

"I love you too." Lorelai responded

"What?"

"Huh?" Lorelai said waking up.

"You just said 'I love you too', were you dreaming?"

"Yeah I guess I was. What are you doing here anyways?"

"Waking you up, we need to get to the airport."

"Oh yeah, I'll be downstairs in a while I just need to take a quick shower."

"Okay." Luke said heading down the stairs.

'I said I love you to him?' Lorelai thought.

* * *

"So where's Jess?"

"Sleeping. I tried to wake him up but he wouldn't budge."

"Oh, okay. I just wanted to say 'bye' to him."

"I'll tell him you said bye, if that does anything for you."

"Thanks." Rory said.

Lorelai came down the stairs wearing black capris and a blue tank top, her hair was in a ponytail and she was starting to bring her luggage down. "Luke can you help me carry the rest of these suitcases down?"

"Sure." Luke said heading up the stairs. He grabbed the remaining of the suitcases and went back down. They went outside and saw that a minivan was parked in their driveway.

"Whose car is that?" Lorelai asked

"I rented it, since my truck is too small to hold the three of us plus your luggage."

"It's nice, all shiny." Rory said

Lorelai went in the passenger seat while Rory went into the back. Luke joined them a few moments later. They were on the highway when Lorelai wanted the radio on.

"Please Luke?"

"No."

"Why?"

Luke sighed and gave in, "Fine."

"Yay!" Lorelai said turning on the radio. She stopped when she found a station that she liked. "Now, it's time for those special dedications. Our first one is for a Miss Lorelai Gilmore from a Mr. Charlie Stewart. He says, 'Lorelai hope you have a great trip and I'll be seeing you when you come back. Love Charlie" The radio said. Then the sounds of Kelly Clarkson filled the air when her song, 'Thankful' played.

Lorelai smiled and turned to Rory who smiled too. "That was nice, what Charlie did." Rory commented.

Lorelai turned to Luke who kept his eye on the road; he seemed to have a sad/mad look on his face. "You okay Luke?" Lorelai asked

"I'm fine"

"Okay, Luke pull over! I have to get something to eat! I'm starved!" Lorelai said

"We can't you're flight is at 8:00 and it's seven already." Luke said

"Ah, fine."

"There's a thermos filled with coffee in the back if you want that." Luke said

"Yes, we want!" Rory replied getting the thermos.

Before long they were already at the airport. The three of them got out of the car and went to where they had to go. "Coffee! Must have more coffee!" Lorelai said when they passed by a little coffee shop. Lorelai and Luke went in while Rory looked for a pay phone to call Jess. "Hi, welcome to the Java Connection! I'm Libby, what can I get you?"

"Well Libby I'll have," Lorelai started

"We have hazelnut, French vanilla, hazelnut cream, vanilla cream, iced coffee, hot coffee, hot cocoa with coffee, or," Libby said really fast.

"Whoa there Skippy. Can I just have coffee? I don't care what you give me, just not decaf."

"But they told me to memorize the different types of coffee, it took me four months." Libby said, sounding disappointed

"It's okay, can I just have coffee please?"

"Sure."

When Libby turned around Lorelai mouthed "Insane," to Luke who laughed. When Lorelai finally got her coffee, she saw Rory sitting on a bench reading a book. "Hey honey, how's Jess?"

"I didn't get a chance to talk to him, no one was answering the phone."

"He must be out."

"We have to be out too, our flight it boarding!" Lorelai said

* * *

"Bye Luke thanks for everything." Rory said hugging Luke

"Have fun." Luke said

"Thanks for driving us here, having to deal with listening to Charlie's dedication to me, I know that that's why you were sad. Thanks I mean I know you hate to do things for people, but I guess there's an exception for me. So bye and I'll call from wherever we are for you and pick us up okay?" Lorelai said hugging Luke. It felt awkward at first but then Lorelai didn't feel weird hugging Luke. "Bye." He whispered in her ear. They parted and she joined Rory. They waved goodbye to Luke as they went to give their tickets to the ticket guy. Luke made his way back to the car, he turned on the radio and 'Every time we Say Goodbye' was playing.

A/N: I don't know airport lingo, so I just called the guy that takes your ticket, 'the ticket guy'. Rory's speech is short since I didn't know what to write, the whole Lorelai saying bye to Luke was I guess to dramatic with her saying thank you and stuff but hey, whatever! I'm in the process of writing chapter 11 so look out for that!