And then she remembered that she was a free woman!

House arrest over! She was on probation! Out on the loose! She should celebrate! Get a tattoo! Go on a bender! Hit the whorehouses and find sweet women!... and, yeah, that was it... her warehouse of prison movie cliches now officially exhausted.

Oh well. She could get up.... and she could go to Luke's!

She wanted to wake Rory in the worst way, she really did, but even she didn't have the heart when she saw how soundly the kid was sleeping after her late shift at the diner. And in a few hours, she'd have to go in to the Daily Planet. So Lorelai made her daughter coffee and left the pot on warm, and drank a few cups herself as she got dressed, humming a little hum to herself. In the bathroom, she spied the extra towel Luke had used the evening before. Just seeing it made her smile.

It was a beautiful summer morning as she walked into town. She felt like she hadn't been out in months. She felt like she was coming home. She felt like a great big sap and didn't even care.

She was the first one to ring through the door, earlier than even any of the six o'clock crowd.

She plopped on a stool at the counter and waited. And in a moment, he appeared.

They smiled at each other.

"Coffee?" she asked.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please, please, please!"(begging now)

"No, no, no." he stood his ground, hands on his hips, chin jutted out, like facing down the ump.

"Pretty, pretty please?" she wheedled.

"How many have you had this morning?"

"Zero.... Plus three. Please, please, please?"

He grabbed the pot and poured a mug with a grump. "You're addicted."

"And you're my pusher!" she smiled gleefully as she took a rapturous sip. "Ooo! Dirty!" she added with a laugh.

Luke just rolled his eyes and leaned over the counter toward her.

"You should be in bed," he said in a low voice, his eyes meeting hers.

She shook her head. "Too lonely," she sighed dramatically.

"Hmm. Yeah, we gotta do something about that one of these days."

"Yep."

And then the rush began and Lorelai gave him a little smile and left into the bright morning.

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And once at The Dragonfly she hardly felt tired at all. Well, maybe just a little around the edges. But being happy and busy can really help ward off feeling crappy.

So she gave Michel the day off for all his hard work while she was out, and went happily to the kitchen in search of Sookie.

They hugged and were happy, and since things were quiet sat at the table to have coffee and to eat the heart-shaped cookies Sookie had made to celebrate Lorelai's homecoming.

"To us and The Dragonfly," toasted Lorelai with her mug.

And Sookie responded in kind.

"So, what's the haps?" Lorelai asked, "What's going on with your life? I've been out of the loop."

"Well," thought Sookie, "Jackson is trying a different approach to organic composting."

"Interesting," said Lorelai.

"Only to Jackson," giggled Sookie, and then, "He wants to have another baby."

"Wow." responded her friend.

"Yeah, I know."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know."

"Very big deal."

"You know," continued Sookie, "Part of me can still recall the misery of the last few weeks of pregnancy and the agony of actual childbirth, but another part of me says, 'Hey! Look what you get, though!'"

Lorelai nodded her understanding and took another cookie.

"Jackson really wants another. He's stopped hounding me on the four in four plan, but another baby... well, it could be nice..." mused Sookie.

"And you're a great mother, Sookie, and I imagine that you'll have learned so much by the time the next one is here, that maybe it will be simpler."

"Maybe," said Sookie. "How about you?"

"How about me what?"

"You and Luke?"

Lorelai grinned, "Luke and I are great."

"So things are progressing?"

"Yes, they are."

"Do you think you'll ever have a kid?"

Lorelai got quiet for a moment and looked down into her mug, "I had a dream last night that we were going to, actually."

"Ooo! Prophetic?"

"No. A little wishful maybe, but not prophetic." Lorelai really didn't want to go there right now, not today when she was so happy. "Besides, Luke and I are only beginning."

Sookie nodded, "Yeah, you've got a lifetime ahead of you."

"Yeah, we do," Lorelai smiled again.

"It's so exciting!" squealed Sookie.

"Yes, it is!"

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It was after lunch later that day as Lorelai sat in the office wading through two weeks of unattended mail when she answered her cell phone.

"Hey," she heard.

"Hey, yourself," she responded with a smile.

"Are you up to going out tonight?" he asked.

"I think so, what have you got in mind?" she asked in a sultry voice.

"Not what's in yours right now, unfortunately," groused Luke.

"What's going on?"

"I had to go with Kirk one last time to the lawyers this morning—they keep saying it's the last time, but I think this time it really was. Anyway, he wants us to come to this thing tonight. Kirk, that is. Rory's invited too, if Lane can cover."

"What kind of thing?" she asked in curiosity.

"He wants us to go to Leslie's club, he's got some kind of big romantic plan to propose to Lulu," sighed Luke.

"Oh wow, I wouldn't miss that if I had to go in an ambulance." grinned Lorelai.

"I was afraid you'd say that. Apparently he's already invited practically the whole town. He thought you'd still be home in bed. When he found out otherwise, he begged me to come and bring you."

"Oh Luke, I'm sorry," she laughed a little at his misfortune.

"Are you sure you don't need just one more evening of rest?" he made a final plea.

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"Are you really sure you're up to this?" Luke asked again as they walked to the entrance of the club. "It's only your first day out again, and it was a long drive into the city," he fretted.

"We don't have to stay all night, Luke," she assured him sympathetically. "If I feel bad, I'll let you know."

"Promise?" he asked looking down at her tenderly.

"Promise." He stopped her at the door and kissed her quickly. "I'd rather be at home right now. Just us." he mumbled into her mouth.

"I know. It's just one of the many reasons why I love you."

He slipped his arm around her waist then and they went in.

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Lorelai never enjoyed a show more in her entire life.

And everyone was there. Kirk had made sure of that. All the good citizens of Stars' Hollow, the Gleason brothers, Sookie, Jackson, Michel, even Emily and Richard.

"I did spend an evening dancing with Leslie, it would have been rude to decline the invitation," sniffed Richard.

Lorelai looked across the table she and Luke were sharing with her parents and Rory, "Dad, you do know that Leslie is a...—?" she began.

"--Lorelai!" interrupted Emily quickly, "Your father understands his social obligations."

Lorelai did a quick double take at her mother—Did Emily just wink at her?!

Nah.

And then the show began. And Leslie Gleason was truly a star to behold. He opened with his trademark Judy Garland 'The Man Who Got Away' number and proceeded to move, beautifully costumed, throughout film history.

The crowd was on their feet howling for more at the end.

Even Luke was impressed. "I gotta admit that his Natalie Wood as Daisy Clover was pretty damn good," he whispered to Lorelai.

Lorelai didn't know which was better: Watching this show with Emily and Richard or hearing that from Luke. Either way, she laughed until she had tears in her eyes.

And then she and Rory shared a look then too. One of their special looks. A Gilmore Girl look just for them.

But then their attention was drawn to the stage as it began: The piece de resistance of the evening...

Kirk took to the stage, and after mumbling a few words to the band, grabbed a mike, and after counting down the music began warbling away: "Fly Me To The Moon..."

Lorelai looked over at Lulu who was en rapt. She gave Luke a little nudge with her elbow to look as well and even he had to let a little smile escape.

And as Kirk crescendo-ed to the end of the song he bent down on one knee and proposed, with a boxed ring and everything, citing that 'this was the romantic way to do this thing, damn it.'

And everyone laughed and clapped and Lulu burst into tears (after saying yes,) and Luke had to endure watching Lulu and Kirk make out a little.

"Geez," he said in his grumpy voice.

Lorelai looked at him and smiled, knowing he wasn't really so grumpy.

It was later, when Kirk had begged Luke to come over for a minute that Lorelai slipped away from the celebration.

She spotted a curtained door next to the stage, a large shirtless, well- waxed man standing before it, in nothing but a vest and leather pants. She walked over to him.

"So what's it gonna take for me to get a back-stage pass to see Leslie?" she wheedled with a smile.

He smiled in return, "Nothing you can offer, honey."

"Oh please, I am a friend of his brother's, really. I just want to thank him for the great show."

Well-waxed man looked her over a bit, then finally stood aside.

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Leslie Gleason sat before the mirror in his dressing room, a row of wigs on stands at his elbow, cold-creaming his face.

"Knock, knock," said Lorelai at the partially opened door.

Leslie looked up, "Oh, Lorelai, come in!" he invited.

She smiled and sat down on the chair next to him.

"Leslie, I sincerely have to say that I think that you just did the most amazing show I've ever seen, my friend, and you should know, to provide context, that I have seen The Bangles live no fewer than three times."

Leslie appraised her a moment, then delicately removed a long glitter- studded eyelash, "It is always refreshing to meet a fan with discernment," he replied with a twinkle.

"And your Cleopatra?! Oh my God!" she enthused, "Artistry! I mean, sure, lots of people could go with the Taylor or even the Leigh version, but to choose Colbert and pull it off?! Genius. Absolute genius," she sighed.

"Lorelai," said Leslie as he tugged at the other eyelash, "I had no idea that you were such a connoisseur. Hard to believe that even exists in Stars' Hollow," he reflected.

"Oh we have our moments," she assured him.

He looked at her again, "Don't I know it," he said drily, "You're looking at the only Jackie Onassis ever to appear in the Star's Hollow Elementary School Halloween parade."

"Wow. I guess not everyone can make it to the Doo-dah parade before junior high."

And Leslie laughed long at that.

"So, Funny Lady, how are you feeling? Kirk said you were in the hospital again," asked Leslie as he leaned back in his seat, his face now clear of make-up.

Lorelai looked at him. "I really see now how you look like Kirk," she commented.

Leslie smiled at that.

"Leslie, I wanted to say thank you so much for your part in putting in the hedge maze at The Dragonfly. I mean you didn't even really know me."

"I knew about you, though. And I knew Luke and what a good man he is. I knew Kirk thought it was important. I knew your father was a helluva dancer. That was enough for me at the time," he said mildly.

"Well, thank you anyway," said Lorelai.

Leslie regarded her shrewdly for a moment, "You didn't answer my question, Lorelai. How are you doing?"

And Lorelai could tell that this good man really wanted to know, and for some inexplicable reason, a lump bubbled up in her throat and her eyes burned a little. She looked away trying to avoid it.

"Wow. You're good," she noticed.

"It was just a question."

"Yes, but there was meaning there," she told him archly. "You got to me somehow. And that's tough to do. What, do you have a degree in hypnosis or something?"

"Sociology. A doctorate, actually."

"Really?"

"Well... ABD, anyway," he tossed off.

"Wow. Dissertation Subject?"

"The Evolution of Non-traditional Families in the Twentieth Century."

"Didn't finish though?"

"Do you blame me?"

"God no. Personally I got knocked up and dropped out of high school."

"Ah."

"Why did you quit?" she asked.

"When the Siren Stage calls, one must answer," he bowed his head humbly.

Lorelai nodded at that and they were quiet for a moment.

"You know..." she began, "The thing about it is, you can't really let yourself think about it... having a wonky ticker, that is..." she reflected looking down.

Leslie nodded and waited patiently.

"Because everyone around you is...thinking about it for you. All the damn time. Seeing you in terms of that, when just the day before they were seeing you as a mother or a daughter or an annoyance. And then there you are reduced to this thing that is wrong with you..."

Leslie seemed to get that too.

"So you try not to think about it because everyone is thinking about it for you. And you love them, and you don't want them to worry, because you know they love you too... And... Gah! It's scary... I mean... I'm scared," she looked at Leslie then, her eyes full of tears, he leaned forward and took her hand.

"And I can tell all the elephant jokes in the world, and tell everyone that life goes on and how lucky I am despite it too... And I am, lucky that is, I really am. But... I really, really don't want to be sick.... And sometimes I feel so awful... And I really don't want to be sick... I really don't." She added the last very softly and bit back a small sob lest it escape.

Leslie leaned forward and took her in his arms, "It's all right, Lorelai. It's all right..." he murmured comfortingly.

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It wasn't too long before she was back out on the club floor though, trusting to Leslie's make-up artistry and the dark lights to cover up evidence of her break down. And she even had to admit that maybe she felt a bit better for it too.

She smiled when she looked up on the stage then: Kirk was belting out "'Til I Saw Her Face! Now I'm a Believer! I Couldn't Leave Her if I Tried!" and was wiggling his hips in a most disturbing manner.

And there were most of her near and dear at the foot of the stage dancing and bouncing happily to the beat.

She found Luke, Richard and Emily still at the table though, taking in the festivities from a safe distance.

"Hey," she said as she slipped in next to Luke and linked her arm through his.

"Hey," he responded. "I was about to go look for you."

"Yeah, I went backstage to congratulate Leslie," she told him. "Oh, Dad," she called across the table and loud music to her father, "Leslie sends all the best!"

"Oh how very nice," nodded Richard.

"So, how's it going with you?" she asked Luke.

"Kirk wants me to be best man at his wedding," sighed Luke.

"What?" laughed Lorelai, "He's got eleven brothers."

"Doesn't want to show favoritism, it's the Gleason way."

Loreali laughed again.

"Oh Lorelai," interjected Richard then, "After careful research and much deliberation with Rory, I've come up with a joke for you. And it's quite a witty one too, if you ask me."

Lorelai's eyes rounded with curiosity. "Really? Let's here it, Dad."

"Well," began Richard pleased as punch with himself, "Descartes was at a cocktail party..."

Lorelai nodded.

"And as it progressed the hostess sidled up to him and said, 'Oh Monsieur Descartes, you've finished your drink. May I get you another?' and Descartes says, (This is the funny part,)" Richard elucidated, "And Descartes says, 'I think not!' and then... he disappeared!"

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They were all dancing slowly now.

Lorelai snuggled into Luke's arms.

"Hey," she said and looked up into his eyes.

"Hey," he smiled down at her, and then added with concern, "Tired?"

"Yeah," she admitted.

"Do you want me to take you home?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes, but let's just finish the dance first."

"Okay," he nodded.

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