A/N: This piece will be 16 parts (so hang in there, it's almost over.) I hope you all have been enjoying it though. I've certainly had fun writing it. If the flashback at the end of this is too similar to the one in The Good One, my apologies. I didn't mean to infringe on anyone else's ideas.

Part 15

Lorelai was slumped on the couch, flipping through a magazine and trying to ignore her stomach grumbling when she heard the front door open.

"Rory! I'm starving, what took you so long?"

"Hey, no complaining. I brought food." A distinctly male voice announced. It was Luke, standing in the foyer with a brown bag brimming with take-out cartons.

"Hey you," Lorelai said, getting up to greet him.

"Hey," Luke smiled, hugging her to him as he placed a light kiss on her lips. He walked into the kitchen and set the bag down and pulled her close again, this time for longer.

"Mmm, much better." Lorelai smiled. "Where's Rory?"

"At Lane's. She came in this afternoon and said I should do this. I dropped off some food for them."

"So this is what it's going to be like, huh?" Lorelai walked over the cabinet to find plates.

"Sick of me already?" Luke smirked as he unloaded cartons from the bag.

"Oh no, that's not what I meant." Lorelai replied.

Luke looked at her for a long second. "You aren't rethinking this, are you?"

"Luke!" Lorelai tried to act shocked.

"I've seen you run from other guys before, Lorelai. It's not hard to figure out."

"I don't want to fight, Luke. It's just Miss Patty came to the inn to smirk at me and Michel was inconsolable he was so thrilled about it all. It just irritates me sometimes—I feel like I don't have a life of my own."

"Maybe it would help if we got out of this gossip mill every once in awhile then. Rory goes back to school in what? Another month? We'll go to New York that weekend. Or wherever you want to go."

"How about Boston? I know you're not crazy about New York." Luke nodded in agreement.

"And," Luke glanced down at his watch. "It's still early, what do you say we change and I'll pick you up in an hour."

Lorelai smiled at him, impressed with this new spur of the moment Luke. "Alright, where are you taking me?"

"It's a secret." He smirked, his eyes glittering. He packed the cartons back into the paper bag and shoved it in Lorelai's refrigerator with all the other leftovers.

Thirty minutes later, Lorelai heard Luke return. "I'm upstairs!" She called. "I'll be down in a minute."

"Mom? It's me," Rory called listlessly.

"Oh hey hon," Lorelai appeared at the top of the stairs and was immediately worried at the sight of Rory's appearance. "What's wrong?"

Rory sank down onto the bottom stair. "I saw Dean."

Lorelai's heart dropped. "Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry. Did he see you?"

"Yes," Rory sighed deeply, but Lorelai could see the tears in her eyes. She sank beside her on the step and began rubbing her back. "And I had to stand there and make awkward conversation and jet lag is kicking in and I feel awful. It's like all those feelings are coming back, you know? Like all this time away really did nothing. I should have just stayed and let you take care of me—you always take care of me."

"Shhh," Lorelai soothed. "Rory, you're going to make yourself sick, you've got to stop."

But she couldn't. "And oh God, you're all dressed up! Luke was supposed to meet you here for dinner. Are you all going out?"

"Yeah, we were, but its fine. I can cancel."

"No, no, don't do that." Rory was sobbing by now. Lorelai managed to hoist her up and practically drag her down the hall to her room. She was coming back through the hallway to find some Kleenex when she heard the front door open. Luke entered, wearing a striped button up shirt and khakis. Lorelai almost melted on the floor.

"God, you look good."

"You look amazing." Luke's eyes swept over her.

Lorelai made a face. "I look half done." She finally found the Kleenex and turned back to Luke. "Hey," she whispered, drawing him close. "I'm really sorry but I'm going to have to put this off. Rory just came back and she saw Dean. So it's kind of--"

Luke's face grew concerned as he listened to Lorelai. "No, no, it's fine. I completely understand. Make sure Rory's okay, we can do this another time."

"Thank you," Lorelai breathed. "I'm really sorry you got all dressed up. You really do look great."

"So do you," Luke smiled and leaned in to brush a kiss across Lorelai's lips. He squeezed her hand. "She'll be okay."

Lorelai nodded. "Thanks." Luke waved as he headed back out the door.

"Was that Luke? Mom, you should go, I'll be fine. I—"

"Rory, I know you want to take care of yourself, but calm down. Luke and I canceling plans is not a big deal." She handed her daughter a wad of tissues. After Rory had calmed down some, Lorelai asked her what Dean had said.

"He just said, 'Hey, when did you get back?' So I asked how he knew I was out of town and he said he'd heard it from Lane and other people. He apologized and said he hoped I hadn't left on account of him. I don't think I said anything. So we just stood there and finally he said he was moving back to Chicago next month. He and Lindsay are separating."

"Did he tell--"

"No, he hasn't said a word about us to anyone. He just told her that things weren't working out and that he needed some time away." Rory took another deep breath, her body shaking with the threat of more tears. "But I kind of felt like he was getting away from me too, you know? I guess I did the same thing." Rory's voice was barely a whisper. She coughed.

"Want some water?"

"Cocoa?" Rory's eyes almost broke Lorelai's heart. They were the same sad eyes from Rory's childhood—whenever Rory did something bad or was feeling guilty, Lorelai remembered those big blue eyes staring up at her, probably hoping she wouldn't yell.

"Of course," Lorelai brushed a hair back from Rory's face and went into the kitchen to make the hot chocolate.

Rory came to stand by the door. "Thanks mom." She dropped into one of the chairs nearby. "So how is Luke?"

Lorelai shook her head at Rory's selflessness. "He's fine."

"I just thought it might be weird for him since the whole town knows."

Lorelai cocked her head to the side; he hadn't even said anything about it. "He didn't say much about it. But Luke's been...really great these past couple months. He's just always there for me."

Rory nodded. "He always has been. For both of us."

Lorelai passed Rory a mug of steaming cocoa. "Yeah, he has."

Rory looked down. "Does he know—about me? Does he think I'm awful?"

You know I care about Rory more than I do myself. Luke's words hit Lorelai suddenly and it took all she had not to break down in front of her daughter. "Of course not, Rory. Luke would never think of you like that. He's been worried about you. And about me—he kept asking about you when you were gone. I think he's missed you this year."

That elicited a small smile from Rory. They sat in silence as they each finished their cocoa.

"I'm going to bed."

"Alright, sweetheart. If you need me during the night--"

"I know. Thanks mom." She gave her mom a kiss on the cheek and a long hug and then wandered to her room, shutting the door behind her.

Lorelai sighed, rinsed out the mugs and headed upstairs, where she wiped off her makeup and changed into cotton shorts and a tank top. Before climbing into bed, she opened her closet and found one of Luke's flannel shirts. She wrapped it in her hands, pressing her face into the soft fabric. The smells of him were almost gone but she could still detect the lingering odor of his cologne.

Rory, stop running, the ducks will still be there! But Rory didn't listen and the flustered Lorelai took a few half-hearted trods to catch up. Rory rounded the corner and Lorelai heard the squealing of tires. Oh God. Her heart dropped like a rock and she froze for a second on the sidewalk. When she rounded the curb, however, Luke was holding Rory's hand, brushing off her knees.

What happened? Lorelai rushed up to them. Did you run out in the road? Lorelai asked Rory, whose blue eyes were full of tears. She didn't respond.

She just fell, Luke replied. The car wasn't that close to her but I guess they were worried they were. He knocked the caked gravel from Rory's knees and blew on her scrapes.

Thank God. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here, she just got ahead of me. Lorelai's breathing was finally slowing down.

No problem, Luke shrugged. I've got band-aids inside if you need one, Luke offered.

Um, sure. Thanks. Lorelai picked up Rory and followed him back into the diner. She vaguely remembered coming in years before but she couldn't remember why.

Luke returned with a plain band-aid. Sorry, he apologized to Rory. I guess you like Sesame Street or something on yours.

I'm too old for Sesame Street, Rory replied precociously.

How old are you again? Luke smoothed the band-aid across her knee and looked up at Rory.

Six. Mommy says I look little for my age. But I've lost five teeth already!

Wow, that's a lot. Will you get anymore?

Rory laughed. Of course, silly. You have two sets of teeth. A baby set and an adult set. I guess I'm not a baby anymore.

Don't rush things kid, Lorelai told her, scooping her up off the stool. Thanking Luke again, she ducked her head as she carried Rory the rest of the way to the pond to feed the ducks. The next day while she was at work, someone delivered a bag of food to the front desk. Inside, she found a note. "Thought Rory might need some cheering up. Drop by sometime. Luke." She smiled and went to surprise Rory with the burgers, fries and pie.