Author's Notes:

Thanks to Lula Bo, Nyla, and Daisy Deertree for reviewing my last chapter. This next one, as promised, Luke/Lorelai. As long as people are reading, I'll keep writing.

It was funny, Luke thought, how the world went on as if nothing had happened. He poured coffee and flipped burgers and listened to the story of Kirk's midnight run through the town square at least a dozen times over the course of the day. Normally he would have been annoyed at having to hear the same story over and over. Today, he was just relieved.

He never thought he'd be grateful to Kirk. That was another funny thing. But having something to talk about kept the townspeople busy, and Luke didn't have to worry as much that someone would bring up his giving Lorelai flowers, or why Lindsay and Dean were splitting up. Though they would know about Dean soon. News traveled fast in a town as small as Stars Hollow, and Lindsay was so hurt and upset that the truth was bound to come out eventually. He didn't envy Dean one bit, poor kid.

And there it was, funny thing number three. Normally he would have been furious that Dean had hurt Lindsay, who seemed like a nice girl from the little he knew about her, and Rory as well. Hell, Luke had gotten into an all out brawl with the kid three years ago when he had broken up with Rory the first time. He'd told Lorelai over and over, Dean was trouble.

But the thing was, he wasn't. Looking back, Luke had to admit that he'd misjudged Dean. Yes, he had his faults, and he'd screwed up royally last night, but beneath that he had a good heart and no matter what he'd done, he honestly loved Rory Gilmore. And in a way, Luke felt like he could relate to him. Dean knew what it was like to love a Gilmore girl. He knew what it was like to get his heart broken by one, and he would miss Rory every bit as much as Luke would miss Lorelai.

Luke closed up early, sending Cesar and Lane home so he could have a few moments to himself while he wiped down the tables and put the chairs up. He thought about Lorelai, and how he'd met her on a night just like this one, nineteen years ago. She had come in for coffee while he was closing, he'd told her that he'd stopped serving for the night, and she had promptly burst into tears.

It had been a horrible day, she had told him. A guest at the inn had yelled at her for throwing out some papers he had left lying on the floor, and her baby had colic and had cried all night, and she had five dollars left for food and another week to go until payday. And now the diner was closed and she couldn't even get a cup of coffee.

Luke had wanted to point out that drinking coffee at eight o'clock at night was hardly the best way to unwind, but she looked so young and so embarrassed to have been crying that he let her in, set down a chair for her, and brewed a fresh pot of coffee. She tried to pay him and he waived her money away, although he let her know that the free coffee was a one time deal. Absolutely, positively a one time deal. She laughed, and by the time she had finished her first cup she was looking a lot better.

By the time she left half an hour later, Luke had learned that the girl's name was Lorelai Gilmore, she was seventeen and from Hartford, and she had a six month old daughter named Rory. She was vague when Luke asked about her life in Hartford, and when he added that to the fact that she was so young, alone with a baby, he got the sense that her parents hadn't taken her pregnancy too well. But she had a job and a place to live over at the Independence Inn, so he supposed she was all right. He did insist that she take a basket of muffins with her when she went, arguing that he would end up throwing them out if she didn't take them. For a minute, she looked like she was going to refuse, and then she gave in and accepted them, giving him a beautiful, grateful smile that made him remind himself very firmly that she was only seventeen.

That was his first meeting with Lorelai Gilmore.

A tap on the door interrupted his thoughts. He knew it was Lorelai before he even looked, and sure enough, there she was. Older than that first time, definitely, and her baby girl had grown up and slept with a married man last night. She looked tired, and worried, but then she smiled and she was that same girl who came into his life seventeen years ago demanding coffee.

Luke let her in, and for a moment they stood there in silence. Lorelai's eyes met his, and then looked away. "Hi."

"Hi." He could feel his heart pounding and desperately hoped that Lorelai couldn't hear it too. "I thought you were on your way to Europe."

"I am," she replied. "I mean, I was. Rory and I drove to Hartford, and our flight leaves at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

Luke glanced at the clock that hung on the diner wall. Ten past eight. "That's pretty soon."

"I know," Lorelai groaned, sinking into a chair and burying her face in her hands. "And I don't know, and I wish someone would just tell me what to do because everything feels wrong to me!"

"Hey, it's okay," Luke insisted, pulling her back up to a standing position and wrapping his arms around her. She cried onto his shoulder as he rubbed her back, still amazed at the fact that he was allowed to hold her like this, after all those years of longing.

She finally pulled back and gave him a shaky smile. "I honestly don't know what I'm going to do, Luke. Part of me wants to run away to Europe and never come back and part of me wants to stay right here and see what might happen with us tomorrow."

His heart leapt at her words and for a brief, wonderful moment he knew he could talk her into staying. With a few simple words he could have an entire summer with just the two of them, and it wouldn't matter if everyone in this little town talked of nothing else. He had the next three months right there for his taking.

And then there was the flip side, that damn little voice of logic in his head that frequently reminded him that things wouldn't be as perfect as he was imagining. He had known Lorelai for seventeen years, half of her lifetime and a good chunk of his as well. He had seen her boyfriends come and go, and while he wanted to believe that it was simply because those guys hadn't been right for her, he knew that in many of those cases Lorelai had ran from the relationship before it had a chance because she was afraid. Luke knew she'd broken the heart of that teacher from Rory's school that she'd been engaged to, and that she had been devastated when Rory's father had gone back to his girlfriend. He knew that if Lorelai stayed, they would have a blissful summer together, but he also knew that she would panic when Rory returned from Europe, and that old habits died hard.

She was still in his arms, looking at him with those beautiful pleading eyes. He began to speak but she pressed her finger to his lips. "I know. I have to go, don't I?"

He could still stop her, if he wanted to. She would stay if he asked her to. But he knew what would happen if she did. His only chance was to let her go, and trust that she would come back. And then there was Rory. Rory was hurting, and he knew that Lorelai's first concern would always be her daughter.

Luke swallowed and gave a very brief, faint nod. "Yes."

She hugged him again and brushed her lips against his. "I'll write," she promised. She kissed him once more and then she was gone. Luke stood by the door and watched her walk away, wondering if he had done the right thing.