He answered the phone, 'Luke's'.

'Hi' a female voice said.

'Hey, how are you?'

'Luke, this is Liz'

'I knew that.'

'Sure, whatever, you did not!'

'You're right, I didn't. I was expecting someone else but I am glad you called. How is married life?'

'It's great. So who were you expecting a call from?'

'Uh, nobody, never mind.'

'Come on, tell me.'

Luke looked around the dinner and ducked around the corner, away from customers. 'Lorelai.'

'Lorelai? So does that mean you two have finally come to your senses figured out you belong together? I saw how you both acted at my wedding. So tell me what happened.'

He told her about dancing at the wedding, asking her to a movie and bringing her flowers at the Inn. 'So when I saw her talking to her ex- boyfriend I didn't know what to think, and then I talked to him and he said they were still together working over a 'rough patch.'

'Oh no.' she said.

'I saw Lorelai after that and she told me that they did break up and we worked it out.'

'Its about time! So, anything you know, happen.'

'Liz...'

'Come on, any juicy details you can share with your little sister?

'No, I mean, there are no juicy details.. I kissed her. That's it.'

'Thats it?'

'Well, we were interrupted before anything else would have happened.' Luke said.

'Interrupted, how?'

Luke chuckled, 'That is a longer story.'

'Can't give me a little tidbit? I miss the old Stars Hollow going's on.'

'Well, it had to do with someone naked but not me or Lorelai.'

Liz laughed, 'Maybe I don't want to know! Listen, I'd better get going. I just wanted to call and see how you were doing and thank you again for everything you did for us.'

Luke walked around the corner back into the diner. 'You don't need to thank me, I was happy to do it.'

'You are a great brother. Good luck with Lorelai.'

'Thanks. Talk to you soon, bye.' He hung up the phone and turned around.

'Hi Luke.' Rory was sitting at the counter.

'Rory, hi, how are you?'

'I'm good. How are you?'

'Good. Need coffee?'

'Lane already set me up.' She held up her cup.

'OK, well, good.'

'So, what do you think of the Inn?'

'It's great, I think it will be a busy place. Have you figured out what you are doing this summer?'

'Not yet, I need to find a job but my grandma offered to take me on a trip so I might go with her. Mom will be busy with the Inn so I don't think she would mind.'

'She'd miss you.'

'I'd miss her too but then she could concentrate on the Inn and other things and not worry about me.'

'Well, I'm sure she would worry about you, even if you were with your Grandma.'

'Yeah,' Rory quickly looked down but Luke saw the tears in her eyes.

'Hey, you sure you are OK?' Luke asked.

'Yep. Is Lane going to be off soon?'

'Right now. Lane, take off. You two go have fun.' Lane handed her apron to Luke.

'Thanks, boss.'

'Thanks Luke, probably see you here for dinner.'

Lorelai tried calling Luke but the phone was busy, both times. 'Is this a sign? No, its not. Calm down! I am calm! Yeah that's why you are having a conversation with yourself in your head. Shut up! No, you shut up. I am crazy.' The ringing phone interrupted her. 'Thank God!' she thought.

'Hello.'

'Hi.'

'Hey, there.'

'How are you?' Why was he so nervous?

'I'm good, you?'

'Good. Rory was here a few minutes ago, she just left with Lane.'

'Oh, good. So has it been busy over there?'

'No, since most of my regulars are all at the Inn. You going to make it a habit to take away my business?'

Lorelia laughed, 'Well, you are an investor here, you wouldn't really be losing any money if they did come here.'

He laughed too. 'Never thought of it that way. I can just send everyone your way and I won't have to do anything. I could retire.'

'You, retire! Somehow I just don't see it.'

Luke chuckled, 'Me either. Rory mentioned that your mother offered to take her on a trip this summer.'

'She did? I didn't know she was thinking about it.' Her voice sounded strange.

'Lorelai, is Rory OK?'

'Why do you ask?' she said quickly.

'She didn't seem like herself and when we were talking about the trip she said she thought it would be a good idea for her to go so you could concentrate on the Inn and not worry about her. She had tears in her eyes when she was talking about it.'

'Oh, the poor kid. Luke, there is something going on but I can't talk to you about it right now. It's not life-threatening, just some 'growing up/girl stuff' you could say.' She sighed.

'Oh. Are you OK Lorelai?'

She didn't answer so he asked again, 'Are you OK?'

'Yeah, I will be.'

'I didn't mean to upset you by telling you that, I'm sorry.'

'You didn't upset me. I'm glad you told me and I'm glad you called. I tried to call you earlier but the phone was busy.'

'Liz called.'

'Oh, how is she?'

'Good, happy.'

'That's good.'

'Rory said you might come here for dinner. I hope you do, I'd like to see you.'

'I'd like to see you too.'

'Well,' he cleared his throat. 'I'll see you later then.'

'OK, see you. Bye'

'Bye'

'Rory, what's wrong?' Lane asked as they walked to Lane's apartment.

'I need to tell you something, not here though.'

When they got Lane's apartment her roommates were there. 'Hi guys,' they said as they headed to Lane's room without stopping.

'Hey, what are you two up to?'

'Nothing,' Rory said.

'Girl stuff,' Lane said.

They both made faces.

'That should keep them away from the door!' Lane laughed.

'OK, what did you need to tell me.'

Rory started to cry, 'Lane, I did the most terrible thing.'

'Rory, come here and sit down, it can't be that bad.'

'It is,' she said between sobs. 'I slept with Dean.'

'Dean, your ex-boyfriend Dean? Dean, who is married to Lindsay Dean? That Dean?'

'Is there any other?'

'Wow. Come here,' Lane put her arm around Rory and let her cry for a while.

After she stopped Lane asked, 'Rory, how did it happen? If you don't want to talk about it I understand.'

'No, I want to talk about it, I need to talk about it.' Rory sighed. 'I don't know where to begin.'

'Wherever and whenever you want.' Lane said.

After she was done Lane asked, 'Since it just happened last night I take it you have not talked to him yet?'

'No, I don't know if I want to. I don't know how I am feeling, how he is feeling, I have so many questions - is he really leaving Lindsay, if he is he will need some time, I will need some time. If he isn't leaving her well, I just don't know.' Rory sighed again. 'My grandma wants to take me on a trip this summer, I was thinking of going.'

'That might be good for you, as long as you are going for the right reasons.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well,' Lane hesitated, 'You know you are my best friend and I don't mean to hurt you by saying this but if you think if you went away everything would fix itself you would be wrong. When you got back you would still need to deal with everything here, nobody will fix it for you...'

'You mean my Mom, don't you?'

'Yeah.'

Rory thought about it. 'I do know what you mean, and the truth is part of me wants my Mom to take care of everything for me but I know she can't.'

'It is hard growing up isn't it?' Lane smiled.

'Yes it is. Lane, thank you for listening to me, it feels good to talk about it.'

'No problem.' Lane paused, 'Rory...what was it like?'

'It was,' she looked down, 'strange.'

'Strange?'

'At first when he kissed me and we laid down on the bed I really didn't think we were going to do anything else, but it was so natural for him to undress me and for me to undress him. The first time was kind of a blur, the second time was...'

'Second time!?'

'Yeah, the second time was special, slow, nice.'

'Wow.' Lane sighed.

'Wow.' Rory agreed.

'Did you use protection?' Lane asked.

'Of course,' Rory said. 'My mom gave me some before I left for school that I never used of course.'

'Lorelai gave you condoms?'

'Yeah, I think she wanted me to use them for water balloons instead of the real thing!" Rory laughed.

'So...' Lane said.

'Yeah, so.'

'For two intelligent girls we certainly don't have much to say.'

'Sometimes that is good.' Rory laughed. 'So where are you playing next?'

Lorelai reached into her purse for her cell phone. 'Hello?'

'Hi Mom'

'Hi Honey, what's up?'

'Where are you?'

'I am just leaving the Inn and heading for home. Where are you?'

'Still at Lane's, we have been listening to music and talking.'

'Talking?'

'Yeah, I told her. I hope you don't mind.'

'Of course not, you can talk to whoever you need to about it, and you know Lane won't say anything.'

'Thanks. What about dinner, should we go to Lukes?'

'Lets talk about it when we get home - are you heading there now?'

'Yes, I will meet you there.'

'OK, see you in a little bit.'