Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters

Lorelai entered her house and Lulu met her in the entryway mewing piteously.

"Oh, did you miss me?" She bent down and stroked Lulu's head. Lulu answered with a loud mew. "I'm sorry. I was having dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. We talked about you. Let's give daddy a call, shall we?"

Lorelai stood straight up at her words and realized what she'd said. "Oh my God. I am SO the cat lady. I just referred to Luke as 'daddy' which would make me 'mommy'…? This is so not good!"

Lorelai wandered into the kitchen with her head in her hands and froze. There, just beside the backdoor, was a pile of poo. Cat poo. "What did you DO?" She turned around and glared at Lulu who sat calmly in the doorway to the living room. "Bad kitty!"

"Ugh!" Lorelai made a face as she grabbed some paper towels and cleaned up the mess. "All you have to do is feed her once in the morning and once at night and clean her litter every few days," she mimicked Luke's instructions to her. "No body ever mentioned cleaning up cat poo."

Lulu seemed bored of watching Lorelai so she leaned over and began to scratch her ear. Lorelai shot daggers with her eyes at Lulu.

The phone rang. "What," Lorelai answered gruffly.

"Hey, it's me," Luke rumbled in her ear. "What's wrong?"

"Luke, your cat took a dump on my floor," she bit out. "I'm cleaning it up."

He chuckled, picturing her cleaning up cat poo. "Sorry to hear that. Do you need any help?"

"No," she answered. "I got it."

He paused. "Did something happen tonight at your parents?"

"No," she said a little too defensively. "Why can't I be pissed about the cat?"

"You can," he told her, "but I thought we had plans. Are you seriously canceling because of the cat?"

"I'm canceling because I just finished cleaning up cat shit. I'm tired and I just want to go to bed," Lorelai threw the last of the paper towels away and crossed her arms with the phone pressed against her ear.

Luke's silence over the phone line was deafening. "Fine," he finally said. "Be alone. I'll be here." And then he hung up on her.

Lorelai stared at the receiver in her hand. He had hung up on her. She threw the handset onto the couch and stomped upstairs to change. In her room she took off her clothes and put on her pajamas. She stared at the bed. It was still unmade from last night's activities. She got closer to it and she could smell him in the sheets.

"What have I done?" Why had Rory mentioned love? Why couldn't it be simpler than that? She had a back track record when it came to love. Granted, she'd been talking to Sookie about Luke being a permanent part of the family. It was different when someone else said it, though. She considered going back downstairs for the phone and calling him right back. But she was stubborn. Lulu bounded up the stairs and jumped onto the bed. The kitten had no fear. She calmly stretched and then walked up to the pillow Luke had used last night and settled herself on top of it, clearly waiting for Lorelai to come to bed.

Her anger had dissipated, but she was reluctant to call him. "What do you think Lulu? Should I call? It's not his fault that you pooed. And it's not his fault that Rory loves him." Lulu closed her eyes and fell asleep.

"Damn." Slowly, she walked downstairs and found the handset on the couch where she'd thrown it. She dialed his number.

It rang three times and she thought he had turned the ringer off. Finally, he answered, "Hello."

"Hi. It's me."

"Yeah," he sounded cautious.

"Look, I'm sorry," she apologized quickly. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. Something did happen at my parents and I was taking it out on you and that was wrong. I apologize."

"Okay."

"Do you still want to come over?" she asked as she picked at a loose thread on the couch.

"I don't know," he answered still sounding cautious and upset.

"Why?"

"Lorelai, I'm not your punching bag. I can be there for you, but this isn't going to work if you treat me like I'm not your equal in this relationship. And before you flip out, I'm not saying that we have to define our relationship. I just don't want you to use random crap against us. Against me."

She nodded and understood so she said, "Okay. I won't ever again."

Luke blew out his breath and she realized he'd been holding it. "Okay. If you still want me to, I'd like to come over."

"I want you to."

They hung up and she waited for him in the entryway. He didn't even have a chance to knock. She opened the door and he came inside. Once in, she wrapped her arms around his middle and he held her tight.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay," he said softly.

She led him upstairs.

Later, when they were lying in the dark and wrapped under her quilt he asked softly, "So what happened tonight that freaked you out?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she answered with her eyes closed and her fingers playing on his chest. "Not right now anyway."

"Okay."

In the early hours of the morning Lorelai felt him get out of bed. "Hey," she mumbled. "Where're you going?"

"Work. Gotta open up in an hour. Go back to sleep."

"Okay," she murmured.  "I'll be in for breakfast."

"I can't wait." After kissing her goodbye, she heard him walk down the stairs and open and close the front door. Lorelai closed her eyes again and hugged his pillow to her chest.

Later that morning Lorelai pushed open the door of the diner and made her way to the counter. "Coffee, please," she moaned to Luke who stood watching her.

"How about some tea instead?"

"Coffee."

I've got all different flavors of tea."

"Coffee."

"I've also got Lipton."

"If you don't fill up a mug for me in five seconds you will be very sorry."

"How sorry."

"Get ready to join Yoda in the afterworld, young Skywalker."

He laughed and poured her a mug of coffee. "You want anything to go with that?"

"Eggs, scrambled. Bacon, well-done. Kiss, on the lips."

He wrote the order out and gave her a kiss. Miss Patty stood at the counter and said, "Aren't you two adorable," before she walked away.

Luke's face darkened and he said to Lorelai, "I am not adorable. Men are not adorable."

Lorelai smiled and said, "You're a little adorable."

He left to get her breakfast. She sipped at her mug.

Taylor joined her at the counter after a moment. "Good morning, Lorelai."

"Morning, Taylor."

"I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds, but I'd like to express my concern for you."

"Concern?"

"Yes, Lorelai. Concern. If you were interested in dating someone, I have several nephews who you might have found appealing. They all have good jobs, none of them wear flannel or baseball caps, and they all shave on a regular basis."

"Taylor, that sweet of you, but – "

"Get out, Taylor." Luke had clearly heard every word.

"No need to get upset, Luke, I'm just trying to be neighborly."

"Right. I'm sure." Luke set Lorelai's plate down in front of her and said again, "Get out."

"Fine. Lorelai if you change your mind, you know where to find me." Taylor left in a huff.

"I can't believe that guy," said Luke.

"Please," shrugged Lorelai, "its just Taylor. Can I get a refill?"

He poured her more coffee as she took a forkful of eggs. "Mmmmm," she said.

Luke was still glaring at Taylor through the window of the diner. "Glad you like it."

"Why're you so upset?"

"Why am I so upset?" he repeated.

"Yeah. Why are you so upset? It's just Taylor."

"I'm upset because he practically propositioned you."

"No. All he said was that he has some nephews who he could have set me up with if I had wanted. But believe me, the day that I want to let Taylor set me up with a member of his family is the day I rip off my own arm so that I can beat myself to death with the bloody stump."

Luke stared at her, somewhat mollified. "You're sure?"

"Luke. Please."

"Okay."

"You know what, though?"

"What?"

"You're even more adorable when you're jealous."

"I am NOT jealous. I just didn't think it was appropriate."

"Appropriate for Taylor to offer me a date while I'm not-dating you?"

"Exactly."

She grinned at him. "Jealous."

"Drink your coffee," he grunted at her and walked into the kitchen.