The morning went by without a hitch. Sookie's blackberry bread pudding was an instant favorite on the breakfast menu and the fresh fruit that was served was so ripe and well prepared that even Taylor couldn't find anything wrong with it.

When breakfast was nearing its end Lorelai surveyed the dining room and noticed that Rory never came down to eat. She slipped out through the back and headed upstairs. Lorelai poked her head through the door of their room and saw Rory still fast asleep in her bed. Lorelai smiled sadly and closed the door without making a sound. Her baby needed all the sleep she could get even if it did mean missing the formal breakfast; Sookie would always have leftovers to feed her when she managed to awaken.

Lorelai crept down the stairs and headed into the kitchen.

"Sookie?"

"Yeah, hun?"

"Do you need me for anything?"

"No, I'm good. Why?"

"I'm gonna go run for coffee."

"You know, we have coffee here, Lorelai."

"I know, but..." she hesitated and looked pleadingly at Sookie.

Sookie looked up and realized that she wanted to go to Luke's not just for the coffee this time. "Oooh..."

"I just wanna return his mug, that's all. He left it here this morning..." Lorelai half-pouted through her charade.

"Go and return it. Everything's fine here." Sookie smiled at her friend.

Lorelai beamed and blushed simultaneously and hurried towards the door. She stopped suddenly and turned around still with a smile on her face. "Sookie?"

"Yes, Lorelai?"

"Can you make a plate for breakfast for Rory? She's not up yet and I bet she'd love some of your bread pudding. I mean how could she not? She's my daughter after all and boy do we love food like that..."

"Lorelai?"

"Yes, Sookie?"

"Go see Luke."

"Am I annoying you?"

"No, but I know that you want to see him."

Lorelai mock gasped. "How do you know?"

"I'm psychic."

"Okay, Miss Cleo. I'll go. But only so I can fulfill what it is you see in my cards."

"See you later."

Lorelai grinned and turned on her heel to exit the kitchen.

Lorelai smiled and was giddy. Never could she remember being so personally enthralled with the idea of going to Luke's just to see Luke. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were slightly flushed as she practically skipped out of the Dragonfly Inn. However, this mood of hers would not go unnoticed.

Lorelai walked down the gravel driveway with a great deal of speed and determination. As she passed Miss Patty, Miss Patty called out to her, "Honey, what's the rush?"

"I'm going to get coffee," Lorelai hollered back, now walking backwards to face her at least momentarily.

"Has the inn run out?"

Lorelai grinned to herself associating Luke and coffee turning them almost synonymous in her head. "You could say that."

"Okay, dear, hurry back!"

"Will do!" Lorelai continued on her way.

Babette looked at Lorelai as she sped down the path and approached Miss Patty without losing focus of her next door neighbor. "Where's she goin'?"

"To get coffee."

"Luke's?"

"Most likely."

"You know, I've got a feelin' that something's finally goin' on between them."

"Oh, I hope so." Miss Patty looked down at Babette and smiled. "I certainly do hope so."

Lorelai neared the end of the drive of the Inn and she was about to break into a run (although just the idea of that much physical exertion exhausted her) when she heard another voice call at her with urgency.

"Lorelai!"

Lorelai stopped dead in her tracks and her face tightened up like a child who was just barely caught with eating candy before dinner.

Taylor Doose approached Lorelai with his pad of paper and his pencil. He stared at her incredulously and spoke as if he were her father, reprimanding her for running away.

"Yes, Taylor?" She was annoyed with his presence but tried her hardest to not let it be obvious to him. It was obvious nonetheless, but still he ignored it.

"Lorelai, where do you think you are going?"

"To town, Taylor."

"You are the executive manager of this inn. You cannot leave it unattended. That is irresponsible."

"Why don't you make a note of that on your list of things to be fixed that you will be giving the management?"

"I think I will do that." He turned to go inside.

"Taylor, I am the management!" She yelled, her arms accentuating the exclamation.

Taylor continued inside without acknowledging Lorelai's remark.

Lorelai sighed and shook her head. "Stupid town," she huffed. She glared at Taylor as he walked into the inn and turned her head to look at the ground. She smiled when she remembered where it was that she was going when she had been so rudely stopped. She started to walk again, slowly at first but then began to put more skip into her step. Nothing, not even Taylor Doose, could stop her now.

She walked briskly through town and slowed slightly when she reached Doose's Market so she didn't seem too rushed when she entered the diner. She paced herself and took deep breaths. iThis is stupid,/i she thought, /ithis is Luke/i. She stopped herself. /i She gasped. She looked inside through the window. "It's Luke," she said to herself with a tone of wonderment that she only felt when the first snow of the season fell. But not only then did she have that feeling anymore. She felt it, too, with Luke.

Lorelai smiled and began walking again. She stepped up the stair to the door and leaned against the glass panel, willing the door to open before her. The bell rang above her head and she stalked her way over to the counter, grinning broadly both inside and out. She sat down on her stool and watched Luke behind the counter.

Luke was talking to Crazy Carrie Duncan when Lorelai walked in. He saw her in the corner of his eye and grinned internally, although in the flesh he looked as annoyed with the world as he generally did.

"So, Luke," Carrie beckoned. "My husband's out for a week. I was thinking that you and I could go out for coffee or something..."

"Why would I do that? I serve coffee here."

"Or how about a movie? That works, too."

"How about no."

Lorelai was watching the exchange calmly but with a great deal of interest. She remained silent for the entire match of verbal tennis.

"Why not? It'll be fun. Like old times," Carrie said. "Or we could go back behind the bleachers... if I recall that was a favorite place of yours."

Luke eyed Lorelai quickly then returned his attention to Carrie. "I've already said no and I'm going to keep it at no."

"Why not?"

"Because," he grunted. He was agitated, especially with Lorelai in such close proximity.

"Have you already got a mistress?"

Luke clenched his jaw and was painfully obvious about his anger, then smiled and released all of his energy. "Yes, actually."

Carrie looked slightly hurt. "Who? Have I met her?"

"Not formally anyway." He glanced at Lorelai and noticed that she was smiling at him.

"Too bad. I really think I could've made you happy, Luke."

He grunted and glared at her.

"Well," Carrie said, "I guess I'll just try again later. If you and this mystery lady ever fall apart just give me a ring. I'll be there to pick up the pieces." She got up off her stool and left the diner.

Lorelai sat in her stool smirking. Luke turned to her and sighed. He grabbed the coffee pot and turned to her. "Coffee?"

"I come with my own mug."

"That's my mug."

"The one you foolishly left in my possession."

"So I'm assuming the answer to my question is yes."

"When you make assumptions like that I'm surprised you have to ask at all." She grinned up at him as he poured her the coffee. When he finished she took a sip and moaned.

"Don't do that," he said.

"Do what?"

"Moan like that. It sounds like you're..." he trailed off.

"Sounds like I'm what?" She raised her eyebrows.

Luke blushed and looked at the floor. "Never mind."

"Dirty," she whispered and then took another sip of her coffee, grinning broadly all the while.

Luke picked up a towel and began scrubbing the counter in front of Lorelai. He watched her intently as she drank from his mug but said nothing. She set down her mug and looked up at him.

"So this mystery woman..." she began. "Carrie doesn't know her, but do I?"

"I dunno... perchance you do."

She smiled. "Will you tell me who it is?"

"No."

"Not even a first name?"

"No."

"Hmm..." she looked playfully down at her hands and acted as if she was pondering who it could possibly be.

Luke bent down on the counter and looked Lorelai in the eyes. He whispered. "All right."

Lorelai looked up and smiled.

"Her name is Stella."

Lorelai laughed a little. "Tandy?"

Luke stood up. "What?"

Lorelai shook her head and laughed that Luke had remembered the name of Rory's chick that he helped find at her house several years ago. "Nothing, Luke. Just amusing myself."

"You do that well."

She smiled as if to thank him for such a marvelous compliment. She looked into his eyes and he looked deeply into hers. He stopped wiping down the counter and just looked. Lorelai's breath quickened and suddenly she snapped her head down.

"You know," she said, "if this counter weren't here..."

He looked down at his hands slightly ashamed. "I know."

She looked back up and gave a wry half smile. "I don't know if I should be happy or angry with its presence here in this fine establishment."

"At this moment?" he asked her.

"Definitely wish that it weren't." She blushed. Her nerves were getting to her. There was definite sexual tension in the air but was almost glad that the barrier was there. The things that she wanted to do were not for a family friendly environment, that was for sure.

"How's Rory?" he asked in an effort to calm himself down.

"I dunno. When I left she was still sleeping. I guess that's good at least." She shrugged. She didn't really want to get into this conversation again. Although she had only had it twice, it was two more times than she wanted to have it in the first place.

"You know, I saw him this morning."

"Clinton?" she said with urgency.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Never mind. You saw Dean?"

"Walking down the street. He looked flustered. He was walking towards your house. I wanted to hurt him but I didn't. I also didn't bother telling him that nobody was at your place, but I'm assuming he found that out." He ran his hand through his hair and sighed audibly.

"Oh, God..." Lorelai closed her eyes holding back her emotions. "Luke, I gotta go back to the inn. I don't want Dean going over there looking for Rory. It shouldn't be the first thing she wakes up to."

"Lorelai, you can't protect her forever."

"I can damn well try."

He shook his head and looked at the ground. "Come with me, Lorelai." He grabbed her arm and drug her towards the staircase leading to his apartment.

"Luke, you have customers."

"Cesar, take over for a while!" Luke hollered.

"Okay, boss!" came the reply.

Luke pushed her up the rickety wooden stairs to his place and opened the door for her. He motioned her inside.

"Okay, what's all this about?" She looked at him angrily.

"Lorelai, Rory's almost 20 years old. You can't do things for her forever."

"Why not?"

"Well if you really want to protect her you're not doing so well right now."

Lorelai's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Lorelai, Rory had sex with Dean. You weren't there to protect her last night. You can't be there to protect her now."

Lorelai blinked not knowing what to say. "Wow... I feel like a terrible mother."

"Don't be absurd. You are a wonderful mother. But you've got to let her make her own mistakes."

She looked at him with tears welling in her eyes. She barely shook her head from side to side. "But she's my daughter."

"And you're her mother."

Her stare turned to look at nothing. She turned dumbfounded and sat uncomfortably on the couch. She plopped her chin in her hands and gazed at the ever absent horizon. Luke sat down next to her silently and looked at her.

After a minute of silence Luke spoke again. "Lorelai?"

She raised her eyebrow to acknowledge that he spoke.

"Rory will be fine. She's gotten by this far because she had an amazing mother. And she will continue to do well for herself because of all she has learned from that amazing mother. No matter what you do, do not doubt your job in raising her."

Lorelai breathed heavily taking in what he said to her. Without dropping her gaze she dropped one hand to her side and laid it on top of Luke's, squeezing it, making sure she had contact with him. She turned her head slightly and looked at him from the corners of her eyes. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

Lorelai sighed. "I really do have to go back, though. Not just for Rory. But I'm the manager. Luckily there's other kitchen staff to keep Sookie from burning the place down, but you never know about Michel. He could always turn to arson the next time Taylor fills out another comment card."

"I know. You'd better go back then." He rubbed her shoulder and looked at her almost longingly.

The two stood up together. When they got to the door they turned to look at each other. Lorelai went in to hug him for his generosity in being a counselor, but became lost in his gaze as she did so. Both closing their eyes they leaned in for a warm embrace of another sort. Their lips were soft and gentle against one another's and their tongues gently and warmly caressed. This simple contact brought Lorelai to silent tears and as the salty water rippled down her fair cheek, it mixed with the warm saliva being passed between them turning the moment bittersweet. Lorelai pulled away slowly and brought her hand up to stroke the hair along his chin. As slowly as her lips had left his, she pulled his chin closer and pressed her open mouth against his own to enter back into the momentary ecstasy she craved. They played a sensual game of give and take with their tongues as Lorelai teased Luke's hair with her fingers. Luke ever so gently pulled her small figure closer to his own body resting the palm of his hand on the small of her back. A sudden sensation of cold air rushed through Lorelai's entire being as she grasped onto the meaning of being in love. She pulled back and without opening her eyes pressed her cool but moist forehead against Luke's. She shivered and Luke noticed. He rubbed his hands along her arms to warm her up.

"Luke?" she said barely audible, almost pleading.

"Yeah?" He replicated her tone flawlessly.

"I'd better get back to the inn before I turn into Scarlet and say crazy things like 'Ravish me, Ralph.'"

Luke nodded. Only then did she pick up her head and begin to move towards the door. She reached for the handle without looking back at him for fear that if she did she would never leave. She turned the handle slowly and looked at the floor. "I'll see you later then, alright?"

"Yeah."

She smiled to herself. "Good." She opened the door and walked out leaving Luke in his apartment alone yearning only for her body to be pressed up against him once again.

TBC

Post Script: The reference to Scarlet and "Ravish me, Ralph" comes from the book uFaking It/u by Jennifer Cruise and is a high quality romance novel. If anybody out there ever wants something high quality to read that has good kissing and sex scenes, this book is it. Just to let everybody know. Cheers!