Disclaimer: I don't own characters, I don't make any money from this, don't sue, bladdy blah.

Authors note: This is a re-post since I am finally getting ready to post the story that precedes this one. I have finished it and just need to make a few modifications and then it will be posted for the masses. I wrote this before season 5 aired so it might not coincide with season 5 but it's just a short lil fic on how I thought Luke and Lorelai might 'out' their relationship. Read and review!

"Bout Damn Time"

    "It's your life. Do what you want." That's what Lorelai said to her daughter three months ago when she announced she was going to Europe with Emily Gilmore. Rory had her fling with Dean. Then Dean announced that Lindsay had to move somewhere else and they left, leaving Rory behind. In the time she was gone, Rory wrote her mother a long note attempting to repair the damage that occurred with her momentary lapse of judgment. They still had things to fix, but they were getting there. Lorelai sighed as she walked into the diner. She sat on a bar stool as he came out from the kitchen. She looked around the diner to see if it was empty and gave him a kiss over the counter. "Hey." She smiled. "Hey." He replied. "Coffee?" he asked, putting a mug in front of her. "Always." She replied with a smile. "You getting Rory from the airport today?" he asked, placing his hand on hers. She looked around again; making sure no one was watching the couple. "No one's watching us, Lorelai." Luke sighed, pulling his hand away. "Just checking!" Lorelai exclaimed offended. "I'm just getting sick of this, Lorelai! We have been dating for three months! If you are serious about this then why can't we tell people? I told you I was all in, I still am. It's on you, Lorelai." he exclaimed getting angry. "Luke! You know I'm serious! I just don't want the town to hear before Rory. It's not fair to her!" Lorelai explained. "She knew we were sort of dating when she left. I'm sure she's won't be surprised now that it's official." Luke retorted. "Luke, she's coming in today. I'll tell her tonight. Then tomorrow morning we can figure out how to tell the world we are dating." Lorelai smiled. "Believe it when I see it." Luke muttered and went back to the kitchen. "Oh come on, Luke." Lorelai called after him her smile fading. "Luke!" she called again but he didn't come out. "Fine, you can explain to Rory then why you won't be coming to her welcome back barbeque tonight." Lorelai huffed before walking out the door.

    "Mom!" Lorelai heard the familiar voice of her daughter calling to her. Lorelai turned around and saw her daughter coming toward her. Lorelai grinned and opened her arms and gave Rory a huge hug. They pulled away. "Why hello, Lorelai." Emily said with a smile as she approached the girls. "Hi, Mom!" Lorelai smiled as she gave a slightly surprised Emily a hug. "Let's go get your bags." Lorelai suggested and the three headed to the baggage carousel.

    Lorelai and Rory dropped Emily off at the Gilmore Mansion. After being in Europe for retrospect, Emily was now determined to make things right with her husband. Rory and Lorelai unloaded all of Rory's bags out the jeep and threw them into her room. "No unpacking right now. I need to talk to you." Lorelai told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the couch. "Oh, you know I like to hear the gossip." Rory grinned as they sat down. "Luke and I are dating." "I know, you where when I left." "No, hun. We have been dating now for three months. Exclusively." "Exclusive? It's serious then?" Rory pondered. "Yes, it's serious, Rory." "How serious?" "Super serious." "That's not much help, Mom. How serious is super serious?" "Rory. I love him. I'm in love!" Lorelai exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "No way!" Rory exclaimed with a smile. "Way!" Lorelai replied grinning. The two grabbed each other's hands and screeched.

    "Really cute black sweater I have to borrow?" Lorelai asked holding it up. "Top right drawer." Rory responded. Lorelai was helping her daughter unpack. The doorbell rang. "Oh! I got it! It's probably my man." Lorelai grinned as she hurried out the room. Lorelai swung the door open really quickly and her smile faded. "Christopher?" "Hey, Lor." Christopher smiled. "Ohmigosh, Dad!" Rory exclaimed running onto the porch and hugging Christopher. "How, how are you here?" Lorelai stammered. "I got a letter from one of my favorite girls telling me when she was coming back from Europe and I was in New York and decided to take a trip down to see you!" he explained. "We are having a barbeque tonight, Dad. Stick around." Rory replied. "Okay, sure." Christopher said as he walked through the door. "Yeah, stick around." Lorelai muttered to herself as she closed the door.

    By six o' clock, they had the barbeque up and running. Lorelai was taking a soda out of the cooler when Christopher came up to her. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second, Lor?" she nodded. Christopher led her from the back to the front porch. "So what's up?" Lorelai asked. "Lor, I'm just going to get right down to the truth here. Sherry and I are separated. We fought too much and we thought it would be better for GiGi not to grow up in that kind of environment." He explained. "Wow. I'm sorry." Lorelai said softly. Luke walked up to Lorelai's house; he came to apologize for the way he acted earlier. He stopped when he saw Lorelai talking to Rory's father on the front porch. "Lor, I love you. I always have. We were good. And Rory will be thrilled." Christopher explained. "Chris . . . " she started to say but was interrupted. "Don't talk Lor just . . . " he closed his eyes and pulled her in for a kiss. Lorelai quickly pulled away. She heard a branch snap behind her. She whipped around and saw Luke with a hurt look on his face. He turned to walk away, but Lorelai ran after him and Christopher after Lorelai. "Mom, Dad there you are!" Rory called out. The three stopped and looked at her. "Luke! Hi!" Rory exclaimed as she gave him a hug. He put on a fake smile. "Good to see you Rory. I just stopped by to say hi. I gotta get back to the diner." Luke said and walked away. Lorelai made an attempt to go after him but he was walking too quickly. "Rory, hun, can you check on the burgers for me?" she asked Rory agreed and went to the backyard. "Christopher! I can't believe you just did that! I'm dating that man. I just hurt him beyond words and it wasn't even my fault!" she exclaimed. "Lorelai I'm sorry. It's just whenever I'm around you, I feel, I feel sixteen again." He explained. "Same here but I'm not sixteen. I don't want to be sixteen. I like my life right now. And I feel something for that man that I have never felt before." Lorelai exclaimed, Christopher hung his head. "Look. You are Rory's dad. I love you, I always will. But Chris, we aren't the same people." She told him. He nodded. "I'm sorry, Lorelai." He told her. "Go help Rory. I need to go to the diner." Lorelai told him. He nodded and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran off.

    Lorelai ran into the diner and noticed that it was quite full. Miss Patty and Babette were at one table, Kirk and Lulu at another and a lot of other town people sitting around. Lane was taking an order at another table and smiled at Lorelai when she walked through the door. "Hey Lorelai. Come sit with us." Babette said. "Hold on." She said and looked around for Luke. He came out of the back with a pot of coffee in each hand and began to fill up cups. "Luke, I need to talk to you." Lorelai said, coming up to him. "I'm busy." He snapped. "I didn't kiss him. He kissed me. I pulled away. It meant nothing." she explained, following him. "Great." He replied sarcastically. "There's nothing there. I told him that. He's Rory Father. He has to be a part of my life in order to be a part of hers." She told him. People were now starting to look in her direction. "Understandable. Look. I'm busy." He said as he walked behind the counter. "Luke, please listen to me!" she exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes. He just turned around and started add up a check on a calculator. A tear fell down her cheek as she began to yell. "I don't love him like that! I love you, okay?" as soon as those words left her mouth, the diner was silent. Luke turned around. "What did you just say?" he asked quietly. She looked at her feet and sniffled. "I said." She whispered and then looked up. "I said that I love you." She told him with confidence, looking him straight in the eyes. She stood there for a minute looking at him and he said nothing. "Right. Bye." She whispered, turning around. She felt hot tears on her face. She could see Babette and Patty looking at her sympathetically. All Lorelai wanted to do is get out of that diner, away from their stares. And the man that just turned her down. She had her hand on the door when she felt someone tug on her arm and turn her around. She was face to face with Luke. She took a step back. "What are you doing?" she asked, shakily. "Would you just stand still?" he asked with a smirk. She smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. "I love you, Lorelai." He whispered after they pulled away. She grinned and pulled him into a passionate kiss. They could hear the whole diner buzzing as they kissed. They pulled away. "Lane, can you handle things here? I'm going to walk Lorelai home." Luke grinned, not taking his eyes off Lorelai. "Um, yeah. Of course. Go." Lane told him, awestruck. "Just make sure Rory's not home when you two go at it." Babette yelled after them as they left the diner.

    Luke pulled Lorelai out of the diner and around the corner. "I can't believe you just did that." He told her with a smile. She smiled. "I couldn't let you get away. Luke, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. I pushed him away. I told him nothing could happen. I told him that I was in love with you." She told him quietly. "I know it wasn't you. It just hurt to see it. I saw you push him away. I got jealous. I'm sorry too." He told her, wiping away her tears. "So everyone knows now." Lorelai told him. He smiled. "Well, not everyone, almost everyone." He said, grabbing her hand. She just smiled at him curiously as pulled her toward the middle of the square. "I love Lorelai Gilmore!" Luke yelled to the crowded streets. "Bout damn time." They heard someone mutter. She closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It is about time, isn't it?" she asked, their foreheads touching. "We're in complete agreement." He told her back and then they shared a kiss that they both knew would change their lives.

---So there's the re-post. I just love the idea of the whole diner situation thing. It just came to me one night and I had to write it down. But anyway, my long story should be posted soon. I wanted to wait till I was completely finished with it before I started to post cuz I have a nasty habit of starting a story and then forgetting to add to it and people get mad when I don't update so I will try to put most of it up next week. Just let me know what you think of this piece, I know its short but I am proud of it. Review, review!---