Disclaimer:  I don't own anything but the story idea.

A/N:  I am terribly sorry for the delay.  Some of the reviewers were starting to circle with knives I think and I just want to let everyone know that we're working as quickly as possible.  My goal is always to be as realistic at possible.  Some reviewers have mentioned that they don't want this to end all sugary and sappy.  Well, neither do I and as a result, I'm trying to go through this process slowly with as many revisions as possible.  Once I'm done with it, I send it to Jade-Tessier, my beta-reader, who has always done a wonderful job (as she did with this chapter).  So, please be patient.  I will not leave you hanging.  This story will have a conclusion.  I promise.  Okay?  So, now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy this (it's for those of you who were worried about Luke visiting a certain old friend in the city).  Leave a review and let me know if you liked it or if you hated or what. 

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Luke stood in front of Lex's big living room windows overlooking the East River.  It was dark and cold out, but down below he made out a sea of lights, moving traffic on the streets and river, people out and about, Christmas shopping or coming home from work, but to him it was just dark and cold.  He'd been staying with Lex for only about two days and already he was feeling claustrophobic.  The city made him want to tear his own skin off; there was just too much of it, all over the place, all the time.  Noise, people, cabs, buses, stores, crime, graffiti, dirt, horns, gah!  Luke couldn't wait to get back to Stars Hollow, but at the same time, he hated to think of what he'd find.  He'd ruined it with Lorelai.  He knew that.  Even if she'd been willing to work things out, after the scene in the basement, he was sure she'd never want to speak to him again.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned his heated forehead against the cool glass of the windowpane, blushing hotly at the memory of his words.  How could she ever forgive him?  Luke knew she couldn't and dreaded his life from this point on.  She'd probably still come to the diner and make him deal with her.  He'd have to give her coffee and watch her date every asshole in the tri-state area.  They'd say they're still friends but there'd always be that underlying tension.  He closed his eyes and thought about how close he'd come to living the dream and how far away it seemed at the moment.  Luke clenched his jaw and resolved to take his medicine like a grown up.  He'd made his bed and now he'd lie in it.

A small click and the turn of a door handle announced Lex's return.  She'd made a nice life for herself here.  Luke was at once impressed with her new life and pleased to be back in touch with her.  The old crush was gone, though.  Lorelai had successfully wiped every thought of any other woman out of his head once and for all.

"Hey there," she called as she entered the living room and joined Luke.

"Hey," he replied, still staring out the window.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked as she flopped onto the couch and kicked off her expensive leather heels.

"Nothing," he answered tonelessly.

"Still the king of brevity, I see," she teased.

Luke chuckled half-heartedly, wanting to acknowledge the joke, but still unable to really feel much of anything.

"How do you feel about Chinese food?" Lex asked.

"Whatever you want," Luke muttered.

"Maybe we could go to the Model Café and order cigarettes and champagne," she suggested with a giggle.  The Model Café was owned and operated by some of the top fashion models in New York.  The joke was, that when you went there, all that was on the menu was cigarettes and champagne, because that the only thing that real models ever ingested.

"Okay," Luke replied gloomily, not getting or caring about the joke.

"Are you even listening anymore?"  Lex inquired.

"Sure, sounds good," he muttered.

"Luke!"

He slowly turned his around and focused his gloomy eyes on his friend.  "Yeah?"

She shook her head at him.  "You've been sealed up tight as a clam since you got here.  I know you didn't just decide on the spur of the moment to visit New York.  Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see you, but you've been miserable since you got here.  What's going on?"

Luke sighed; he might as well tell her.  He had to get used to the idea anyway.  "Lorelai and I broke up."

"I knew it," said Lex with a frown.  "I knew something was up.  You haven't mentioned her the entire time.  What happened?"

Luke shifted uncomfortably and turned back to the window before answering. "I asked her to marry me."

"No kidding?" Lex gasped.

"She said no," he continued miserably.

"What?  Why?"

Luke thought about it and blushed again.  "Um, I don't…actually…remember.  Something about having more kids…I was a little…intoxicated at the time of the conversation."

Lex gaped at her friend's back.  "Are you kidding?  What a jackass!  You don't even remember the breakup?  Is that why you were hung over when I called you?  And that's why you're here!  Running away!"  Lex stood and paced the room scowling at Luke.

Luke finally turned around completely from the window and held up his hands as if in surrender. "Hey, wait a sec.  I proposed, she said no."

"It doesn't sound like you listened to what she said at all," Lex accused.

"She said we hadn't dated for very long and that she wasn't sure she didn't want to have more kids," he answered triumphantly, her words coming back to him as sharp daggers to the chest.

"How long had you been dating?" Lex interrogated him as only a lawyer could.

"Since September."

"That's it?  And has she been burned before?"

"What do you mean?" Luke wasn't sure he liked where this conversation was going.

"Screwed over," Lex clarified.  "By a man."

Christopher's name leapt up in Luke's brain.  "Well…." he hedged.

She just stared at him, pity in her gaze.

"But that's not the point," Luke declared.  "If she wanted to marry me, then she would have said yes, right?"

"Not necessarily, Luke," answered Lex with a deep sigh.  "You haven't told me the details yet, but if it was something that you and she had been talking about doing for a while, then she really should have been prepared for it.  However, if you surprised her with a sudden proposal she may have freaked out just from shock."

"You think?" asked Luke, uncertain.

"Yeah.  You need to talk to her.  Set things straight and get it all out on the table.  Listen to what she says to you and try to be clear about what you want."

Luke thought about the scene in the basement and said with great misery, "I don't know that she'll ever want to talk to me again."

"Well, you have to try and at the very least you should apologize for anything you said while you were…intoxicated," pressed Lex.

Nodding, Luke took his hands out of his pockets and said, "You're right.  At the very least we'll be able to salvage the friendship."

Lex nodded at him from across the room and said, "So, now what about dinner?"

"I don't think I can do dinner tonight," he answered.  "I need to go."

Lex walked across the room to him and gave him a hug, which he returned.  It was funny.  So many years ago he'd wanted this woman so badly and now, she was just like a sister.  All he felt for her was warm friendship.  Pulling back, Lex said with a smile, "I'll drop you off at the train station."

"I'll get my stuff together," he answered with a nod.  He had to get back to Stars Hollow as soon as possible.