Author's Note: Thanks again for the reviews. I hope this chapter tides you over because I'm sure if I'll have the next chapter done by tomorrow. I still don't own Gilmore Girls.

Luke paced the cabin and took a deep breath before he picked up his cell phone. He dialed a familiar number and waited while the phone rang.

"Hello," the irritated voice barked into the phone.

"Jess, hi" Luke said.

"Luke?" Jess replied surprised.

"Yeah, it's been a while," Luke said.

"Yeah, it has," Jess agreed. The last time Luke and Jess saw each other they parted on good terms. Since then they had been keeping in touch through monthly phone calls. Luke didn't want to smother Jess and for his part Jess enjoyed talking to his uncle every so often.

"So how are things?" Luke asked.

"They're good," Jess said. "I enrolled in that course I told you about at the community college."

"That's great," Luke said proudly. "How's it going for you?"

"It's different. I never thought I'd like going to school," Jess admitted. "So what's new with you? You and Lorelai still the Luke and Laura of Stars Hollow?"

"I don't even want to know how you can reference General Hospital," Luke replied.

"I don't even want to know how you know I was referencing General Hospital," Jess joked. "So how are things?"

"Your mom and T.J. are doing well. Your mom got an offer to display her jewelry in some boutique," Luke evaded the question.

"That's good," Jess said noticing that Luke hadn't answered his question. "So T.J. is still around, huh?"

"Yeah, who would've thought?" Luke tried to laugh. "As weird as he is he seems good for your mother."

"Yeah, T.J. brings out the best in Liz," Jess said. "It's kind of how Lorelai gets you to actually leave the diner on occasion."

Jess knew he was steering the conversation back to the topic that Luke had managed to successfully avoid moments ago, but he felt there was something that Luke wasn't telling him.

"Right," Luke said tersely.

"Isn't it about time for that Valentine's Day festival?" Jess asked. "Is she gonna make you dress up like Cupid?"

"Look Jess, for your information Lorelai and I broke up, okay? I left Stars Hollow and right now I'm living at the cabin," Luke replied.

"Are you serious?" Jess asked surprised. He knew Luke was avoiding his questions, but he didn't actually think that something this serious had happened.

"Yeah," Luke said quietly.

"She break your heart?" Jess asked trying to sound nonchalant although he really did care.

"Yeah, I guess she did," Luke sighed. "You were right."

"About what?" Jess asked.

"A long time ago you told me I was putting my life on hold for her and she'd never notice me. Well she finally noticed me, but it turns out she didn't care as much as I wanted her to," Luke replied surprised by his mini-rant.

"Did you tell her how you felt?" Jess asked.

"Yeah," Luke said sadly. "She just didn't feel the same way."

"I'm sorry," Jess said meaningfully.

"Yeah, well it's over now," Luke said wistfully. "But listen, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Depends," Jess said. "What do you need? Cause I'm not gonna do one of those fruity retreats with you where we sit in the woods and hug it out."

"I don't want you to come on a retreat with me," Luke sighed. "I forgot some things at the apartment. I was wondering if you could pick them up for me?"

"And you can't do it yourself?" Jess asked.

"You know that town Jess," Luke said. "I just don't want the spectacle."

"Fine," Jess agreed. "What do you need?"

Luke hung up the phone after calling Jess. He felt a little better knowing that he was going to collect the things he's forgotten in his haste to leave town. Jess was also going to make sure that one more important piece of business was attended to.

Lorelai opened her eyes and took in a deep breath. She looked around and realized that she was in her room. She felt like she'd been run over by a Mack truck. Her mouth felt like cotton and she cleared her throat before rubbing her eyes. Her head hurt and then she remembered the events of the previous evening. She was suddenly very happy that she didn't have to work until later.

She further remembered that Christopher was still downstairs. Sure, his presence in her life caused some problems for her relationship with Luke, but that wasn't the real problem. The real problem was that Lorelai couldn't say what Luke needed to hear. She couldn't allow Luke to have access to that part of her. But Lorelai couldn't think about that right now. She was more concerned about remembering what happened last night with Christopher. Her memory was foggy, but she did remember falling asleep on the way home.

Lorelai trudged downstairs even more downtrodden than the previous day. However, today Christopher wasn't sleeping. He was awake and packing his duffel bag.

"What are you doing?" Lorelai asked yawning.

"I'm packing," Christopher said not looking up.

"Chris," Lorelai said walking over to the couch. "You don't have to leave. I want you to stay, really."

"No, I can't," Christopher said. "I've already overstayed my welcome. I appreciate all the help you've given me with Gigi Lore, but it's time to go. It's time I figured out how to do this on my own."

"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," Christopher said sincerely. "I've really liked being here with you and Rory when she comes home, but it's time for me to grow up and deal with this on my own. You raised Rory on your own. I think we both agree I wasn't around when I should have been, but now I have to do this on my own. I can do this."

"You can," Lorelai agreed. "You're a great Dad when you let yourself."

"Yeah," Christopher smiled that remarkable smile. "And you're a great girlfriend when you let yourself too."

"What does that mean?" Lorelai asked.

"Look, you and Luke? Probably none of my business, but why were you keeping him at arms length?" Christopher asked.

"You're right, it's really none of your business," Lorelai said. "I wasn't keeping him at arms length though."

"Right," he replied drawing out the word to articulate his disbelief.

"I wasn't," Lorelai protested.

"Lore, I was only here a few weeks and I could see how your face would light up when he'd call you or come over. And after last night don't tell me you aren't in love with him," Christopher said.

After a beat he added, "And if you tell me you don't love him I'm gonna have to get violent because that was the only thing keeping me from trying to get back together with you again."

Lorelai gave Christopher a soft look. Her eyes showed that she was touched he still felt so strongly about her.

"I definitely had strong feelings for him," Lorelai said slowly. "I don't know how I felt."

"Come on, you told me you loved him last night," Christopher stopped throwing things in his bag and sat next to Lorelai on the couch facing her.

"I did?" Lorelai asked cringing.

"Yes, you did," Christopher said. "Actually you told me you loved me, but you called me Luke so I put two and two together. So I'll ask you again. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. There's nothing to tell," Lorelai shied away from his demand.

"Oh please! How about telling me why you can't tell Luke you love him? Or why you cling so fiercely to being alone when deep-down you hate it," Christopher said.

Lorelai's eyes widened in response to his comment.

"Did I mention I know you?" Christopher added.

"I can't tell Luke I love him because it's too big," Lorelai said. "You know my family. We're not the Walton's. Emily and Richard didn't tuck me in at night. We didn't partake in family hugs or verbal affection," Lorelai said.

"So emotion makes you uncomfortable," Christopher said. "I get that, but Luke isn't your family."

"No, but he wants to be," Lorelai said. "He loves me. He told me he'd do anything for me. Do you understand how much pressure that is? I'm going to let him down."

"You don't think you've already let him down? The guy left town Lore. How much more disappointment do you have stored up for him?" Christopher tried to joke.

"You don't get it," Lorelai sighed. "Do you want to know how many times I've said I love you to a guy? The answer is once and I'm looking at the guy I said it to," Lorelai said.

"So once again, it's my fault you can't say I love you to someone?" Christopher said getting irritated.

"No," Lorelai said resting her hands on his knee. "I mean...Do you remember when I told you I loved you?"

"Right before we found out about Rory," Christopher said.

"Exactly," Lorelai said. "I loved you and I thought we were going to have this fantastic life. Then I found out I was pregnant and that perfect life went out the window. And even though it turned out great, for a while it was horrible."

"So saying I love you means disaster?" Christopher said.

"Maybe," Lorelai admitted. "I don't know. I just know that it scares the hell out of me. It's a big deal. It's a life-changing thing."

"But it should be a good thing," Christopher said. "What do you think will happen if you tell Luke you love him? Flood? Famine? Assorted signs of the apocalypse?"

"No," Lorelai said. "I just, I know I'll let him down."

"That's the point," Christopher said. "Look, you helped me with Gigi, now let me help you with Luke. Saying I love you is scary. It makes you vulnerable to the person you say it to, but Lore, come on, you can't go through life being too scared to experience it. You have the advantage here because you know Luke loves you. There isn't any danger of him not saying it back."

"There wasn't if I would have said it four weeks ago," Lorelai admitted. "I wanted to say it Chris. I opened my mouth and the words just wouldn't come out. Then he walked out and it was too late. If I say it now, who knows? He probably doesn't feel the same way anymore."

"You'll never know if you don't try," Christopher said standing. "Now, I gotta go. Gigi and I have a long day of moving things out of storage don't we G?"

Christopher picked up the baby and walked over to the couch.

"Thanks for all your help Lore. I won't forget it," Christopher said placing a light kiss on Lorelai's forehead. "But do yourself a favor and think about what I said. Oh, and if Luke's stupid enough to say he doesn't love you anymore let me know. I'm always around to pick up the pieces of your heart, or challenge him to a duel. I think Straub still has his 19th century dueling pistol in the attic," he added with a smile.

With that Christopher walked out the front door and Lorelai sat on the couch contemplating their conversation and what she should do next.

Lorelai watched Christopher leave and part of her knew he was right. She picked up the phone again. The number rang and went immediately to voicemail.

"Luke," Lorelai started, her voice shaking slightly. "I get that you're probably avoiding my calls, but I'd really like—I need to talk to you. Please call me when you get a chance."

Luke had just hung up the phone with Jess and he noticed he had a voicemail message. Luke sighed as he listened to the message from Lorelai. No communication for weeks and now Lorelai had called him twice in a week. She sure wasn't making this easy for him, but he couldn't get sucked back in again. He didn't trust his resolve. He knew that hearing her plea would get to him and he felt like he was just starting to forget her piece by piece.

In the end Luke thought that leaving Stars Hollow might have been the best thing he ever did. He was staying at his cabin, living off his savings for a while. Luckily his father had taught him how to invest wisely. Luke knew he'd have to start looking for work soon, but for now he was taking things one day at a time. And that meant he wasn't planning on returning Lorelai's call any time soon.

TBC