A/N: Urgh. I hated writing the first part of this story. I honestly don't like the personalities of both Dean and Rory. I also think Rory acted out of line towards Lorelai that night and in the previews I've seen. The Luke and Lorelai part is beautiful. I love it. I so think that it's something Lorelai would do. Ha. Breaking and entering. No idea when next chapter will be up, but it should be soon!

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Chapter Seven: What if I'm in Love?

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Rory watched from the front door as Luke helped Lorelai into his truck, a smile lighting up the girl's face. When the truck drove off out of sight, Rory closed the door and went to the couch, reaching for the remote. She pressed play and then started her adventure into the wonderful world of Willy Wonka.

About thirty minutes into the movie, there was a knock on the front door. Rory, who had been happily singing along, froze. What if it was Dean? She couldn't risk seeing him. She didn't want to at all and feared doing so.

In an attempt to avoid a confrontation with whoever was at the door, she muted the television and pretended to be asleep.

The knocking persisted until finally Rory heard her name being called by a young male just outside the window. It was Dean.

"Rory? Rory! Please, Rory! I need to talk to you! Can I come in? Rory? Rory? Come on, Rory! I know you want to see me!"

Dean's head appeared in the window and he knocked on its surface. He called out, "Rory? Come on! Rory, you need to wake up! We have to talk sometime!"

Rory's eyes opened and she stood, moving towards the door. When she opened it, Dean was right outside, looking at her.

"I can't talk, Dean, okay?" she said, frustration evident in her voice.

"Please, Rory," he said calmly. "I need to talk to you. We need to talk about last night."

"No, Dean. We don't need to talk. Last night was a mistake. We shouldn't have done that. You know we shouldn't have. You're married! We had an affair! Don't you get that?" she shouted at him, angry.

"No, Rory. I can't stay married to Lindsey when I'm in love with you. I thought that by marrying her that I'd get over you. But I was wrong, Rory. I realized how much I need you. I know you need me, too, Rory!"

He moved towards her, trying to push her into the house. She stood her ground, her eyes narrowed.

"You can't come in, Dean! I don't want you here!"

"You said it was wonderful, Rory! You said you loved me!"

"I never said anything like that! You did all the talking! I never got a word in! I didn't love it, Dean! It was beautiful! That's what I said! And it was! That act of love is beautiful! I don't love you, Dean! Why can't you understand that?"

Tears filled her eyes. She still had a place in her heart for him, but he had taken advantage of her. If he could cheat on Lindsey so easily and without guilt, then how would she be able to trust him not to do it to her? She wasn't in love with him. She just wanted him to leave her alone, to stay out of her life. He was making it hard for her to say no; he was making it hard to deny her first boy friend and her first love. How could he say he loved her and then torture her like this?

"Please, Rory..." he said softly. His eyes were wide and pleading, but Rory hardened her heart.

"Leave me alone, Dean. Go away and never come back." Her voice was cold as ice and her stare was rock solid.

He stood there for a moment, looking at her. A tear slid down her cheek, but she ignored it.

Dean exhaled deeply and then turned and left. Rory didn't watch him go, but instead closed the door, turned, and went to her room to cry her eyes out.

0:=:0

Lorelai went inside after watching Luke walk back to the diner. Her spirits were at an all time high tonight and she wanted to get to bed as soon as possible so that the next day would hurry up and come.

She opened the front door, about to call out Rory's name when she heard a whimpering noise. It sounded like it was coming from Rory's room, so she headed towards the kitchen. What came into her line of vision was unbelievable.

Rory was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall to the right of her door. Her knees were pulled up and her head was buried in her crossed arms. She was sobbing and her body was shaking.

"Rory!"

Lorelai dropped her purse and her coat at the spot where she was standing and rushed to Rory's side. The older woman knelt next to the sobbing form and pulled the girl into her arms.

"Rory, what's the matter?"

"Dean," she sobbed.

"Oh, Hun..."

Lorelai pulled Rory to her feet and up to the upstairs room. The girls climbed onto the bed and laid there while Rory calmed.

"What happened?" Lorelai asked when Rory's sobs had subsided.

Rory slowly explained what had happened, new sobs and hiccups interrupting her speech. Lorelai held the girl in her arms, stroking her back in a soothing manner. Rory poured her heart out, weeping into her mother's shoulder.

When she finished, she burrowed deeper into her mother's arms, shaking.

"I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen... and I'm scared, Mom. Dean sounded so obsessed and confident. Mom..."

Lorelai hugged her daughter closer. The least she could do was try to support the child before she went to Europe.

As they lay in Lorelai's bed, the phone rang downstairs. Rory fidgeted a little, as if expecting her mother to get up and answer it.

"Let the machine get it," Lorelai said quietly.

After about ten minutes, Rory fell asleep, her wet eyes exhausted. Lorelai gently removed the girl from herself and softly laid the child on the bed, covering her with the comforter. Lorelai delicately tip toed out of the room, closing the door behind her.

She headed down the stairs towards the kitchen, pressing the play button on the answering machine as she passed it. Emily's voice echoed into the room and Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Lorelai, you really ought to rethink how you greet people on this thing. It is rather rude and will probably force your callers to rethink attempting to contact you again."

"Get on it with it," Lorelai groaned angrily, filling the coffee pot with water to make coffee.

"Anyway."

"Thank you."

"I have called to inform Rory that our trip will be delayed for two weeks. The entire lawsuit event with Jason is taking an awful turn. I don't want to explain the details though.

"There is a good thing. I'm still staying at the hotel, but Richard and I have decided to go to marriage counseling. I think it's degrading to tell a stranger all of your problems thinking that they'll understand. But I'm going anyway.

"You know, I wouldn't mind if you called me every once in a while.

"And Lorelai, I expect to see you both at dinner on Friday."

Lorelai sighed in disappointment. She had been hoping that since her parents were mad at her that they would cancel dinner.

"Mom?"

Lorelai went to the stairs and looked up at her room. Rory came to the door.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Hun?"

"I heard Grandma's voice. What did she say?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes to the ceiling, thinking.

"That your trip is going to be postponed for two weeks cause of the whole Jason lawsuit thing. And your grandparents have decided to go to marriage counseling during those two weeks, even though she's still living in the hotel. And we have to go to dinner on Friday." She looked back at Rory, who now looked confused.

"Why wouldn't we go to Friday night dinner?" she asked, bewildered.

Lorelai sighed in annoyance.

"Well, they were mad at me, so I thought they wouldn't want to see me."

"You're stupid," Rory commented dryly.

"Go back to bed," Lorelai shouted playfully.

Rory smiled quickly before a frown washed over her face. She looked away from her mother, her eyes sad.

"What's the matter, Rory?"

Rory sighed, smiling a little.

"I really wanted to leave as soon as possible. I don't know how I'll survive during the next two weeks."

Lorelai nodded slowly, slightly upset.

"You won't mind hanging out with me during that time, will you?"

Rory shook her head before she even thought about it. She loved her mother very much and desperately wished that she would go to Europe with her mother and daughter. It upset her that Lorelai wouldn't go, even though Rory was in a time of great need. Of course, Rory had always known her mother wouldn't go, so the girl had never had high hopes.

"I'll go to Lane's for a few days. You... you have t make sure he doesn't come near the house though. I don't want to see him. Not for a long time. Not ever, even." Rory rubbed her hand over her hair, smoothing down the tangles. "I'm gonna go back to sleep." She waved lightly and then went back into Lorelai's room.

Lorelai sighed heavily. She was awake and fully worrying about Rory. She just wanted a big hug. A small smile edged her lips when the one person she wanted a hug from entered her mind.

Luke.

She ran up the stairs and opened her door, looking in to find Rory sound asleep. Lorelai took a notepad and pen from one of her drawers and wrote Rory a note. She stuffed the paper down the front of Rory's shirt, turned, and hurried down the stairs. She grabbed her coat and left her house.

0:=:0

Lorelai stood in front of the diner, looking inside. All of the lights were off. Well, of course. It was probably ten o'clock. Luke always went to bed early.

But that would end once they got more intimate...

Dirty.

Lorelai focused on the diner again. Maybe she should try waking him up.

She knocked on the door a few times, but there came no answer. She knocked louder and still received no answer. She tried kicking the object in her way, but it didn't exactly work. All it did was hurt her foot.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. He could not be this deep of a sleeper.

She took her cell phone from her pocket and dialed the oh-so-familiar number of Luke's. It rang and rang and yet there was still no reply from the man she knew was inside. She hung up, becoming desperate to awaken him.

She looked around herself. There were a few rocks on the street and she could see one of Luke's windows, so she decided to take a chance. She threw all four of the rocks she had gathered at the window, but missed three times. When the fourth made contact with the glass, a quiet ping sounded around her, but nothing stirred. Not even the birds perching on the gazebo.

She grunted in frustration. With one last sigh, she shook the handle, doubting completely that it would move. With a click the door opened, revealing the diner she knew and loved.

Lorelai sighed, suddenly angry. She pursed her lips, holding back from screaming 'fuck!' to the whole town. When her irritation subsided, she quietly tip toed inside, closing the door behind her and then headed for the stairs.

Luke still hadn't heard her, so she moved quickly up the steps and stopped in front of the door. She knocked rather loudly and then stood waiting. She heard noise from inside and became quite excited. She waited for ten minutes before realizing that no one was coming. She reached out and laid her hand on the door knob, turning it and opening the door. When she peeked inside, the place was dark and solemn. She stepped inside, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. She walked towards Luke's bathroom, remembering where his bed was from previous visits. As she approached the small bed, a very placid Luke came into view. He was under the sheets, lying on his side. One of his arms was bent, his head lying on top of it. The other was sitting atop his side, above the sheets. The sheets were around his chest, up to his armpits, and from where Lorelai was standing, she knew that he was wearing nothing on his upper body. His hair was missing its familiar hat, his eyes were closed, and his lips were curved into a slight smile that made Lorelai's stomach very nervous. She smiled at him, suddenly proud that he had chosen her.

She knelt next to him, watching as he breathed deeply. She had been watching him for ten minutes when she let out a happy sigh, knowing that when he was awake that he would hold her in his arms.

At the tiny noise she made, Luke's eyes shot open and his body jerked to life. Lorelai, who had not been expecting this, yelped in surprise and fell backwards onto her butt.

"Luke!" Her voice was breathy and a bit annoyed.

"Lorelai? What the hell are you doing here? In my apartment?" he asked as he sat up. When he did this, the sheet fell to his waist, revealing his uncovered chest.

She hesitated a moment, a blush spreading over her cheeks.

No fair! Lorelai thought. He's not allowed to make me speechless! No clothing is cheating!

"I...I...um, came here to...to get some...some coffee," she sputtered.

"You were staring at me! Watching me while I slept! I dunno about you, but to me that sounds really creepy!" He wasn't angry, just surprised and very disturbed.

She averted her gaze, looking at the floor and her surroundings.

"Well...I...uh...I knocked...and called...a-and threw rocks at your window..."

"You threw rocks at my window?"

"You know me! I can't aim! I only threw four and only one actually hit, though it made hardly any noise. You're the one who was knocked out! I tried to wake you up!" Her gaze shifted to him and she stared into his eyes. "So, I tried the door knob, of course not expecting it to open, and it did, so I went inside. You were still asleep and you looked so peaceful and wonder---" She stopped abruptly, just before she said that he looked wonderful and fantastic.

Despite himself, he smiled at her. "Wonder what?"

"Wo-o-o-o-onder...ing what might...happen to...morrow," she finished indignantly, randomly picking words that were floating around in her head. She looked away from his confident grin and changed her position on the floor so that she was sitting Indian style.

She lifted her eyes to his, and they stared at each other.

"I need coffee," Lorelai said suddenly. She stood, no longer meeting Luke's eyes, and turned to leave. "I'll be downstairs waiting."

She left then, leaving him to get dressed. As she closed the door, she heard him laughing.

0:=:0

When Luke came down into the diner, Lorelai was sitting at the counter, her chin in the palm of her hand as she stared through the window.

Luke found comfort and confidence in the fact that he made her anxious. She stuttered more often and ran into things. She was cute now, so shaky and fretful. He loved her so much. There was no question about that. He couldn't stop thinking about her.

Lorelai was equally awed by herself. She was such a ditz around him. She was surprised she hadn't run into anything since the test run. But it had barely been half a day since then. She was thinking of his gorgeously self-assured smile when she heard him cough from the curtain hiding the stairs.

When she turned to look at him, her features were sad.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi. What's the matter?"

Lorelai looked away, not answering at first.

"I need coffee."

Luke nodded silently and moved to make some for her.

Lorelai slowly noticed that he had dressed in new flannel and jeans. Why couldn't he just dress in sweatpants and a t-shirt?

As the coffee brewed, Luke stood behind the counter watching Lorelai, who was watching the scenery outside the window.

"Something's wrong. I can tell. Why are you so upset?" he asked.

Lorelai sighed, twisting to look at him.

"It's Rory---"

"Is she okay?" Luke asked instantly.

Lorelai smiled at his concern.

"No, Rory's fine. It's nothing like that. She's just been...really upset lately. I feel bad for my kid, Luke, and there's nothing I can do."

Despite her dismay, tears welled up in her eyes. She spun on the stool with her back to Luke as they threatened to spill over.

Luke left the area behind the counter and went to stand in front of her. She hopped off the stool and slid her arms around his waist, burrowing her face into his neck. His arms immediately wrapped around her body so that they were in a warm embrace.

"I didn't come for coffee, Luke," she said after a minute. "I mean, I'm not saying I don't want the coffee," she added quickly. "But I just came for this. I needed a hug. A big hug. And not just from anybody. It had to be from you."

"Are you sure that everything's okay with Rory?"

Lorelai paused, debating over whether to tell Luke about Rory and Dean or not. She decided she couldn't because it was Rory's choice who knew about that night.

"No. Something's wrong. Terribly wrong. But I cant tell you. Rory would kill me. I want to tell you. I want to tell you more than anything."

"It's okay, Lorelai. If you can't, you can't." He looked down at her, tilting her face up to meet his eyes. "Although, now I'm a little curious."

"Mr. Danes can be curious? I thought you were immune to the world." She stepped away from him, putting about a foot of space between them.

'Well, I had been wishing for the longest time that I was immune to you. I think all that wishing paid off." He grinned at her.

"You're not immune to me, mister!" she said, poking his chest.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know!"

She twisted her hands in his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. It was short and yet passionate. When they separated, Lorelai stepped back, breathing heavier.

"I'm...I'm gonna...sit down..."

She backed up, not turning her back to him, her hands out behind her to locate the stool she had been sitting on minutes earlier. Her hands touched the smooth surface, but she misjudged how far back she needed to go and sat with her butt barely touching the seat. She didn't realize that she had missed the stool until her weight was off of her feet. She was falling in a split second, but to her it was happening in slow motion.

"Lorelai!"

If the counter hadn't been directly behind the stool, the fall would have had a much different and less painful result. Unfortunately, the feet of the stool collided with the counter, pushing Lorelai forward so that she landed directly on the part of her back where the base of her spine was located.

"Agh!" she screeched.

Luke was at her side immediately, pulling her upper body against his and holding her head on his shoulder.

"Lorelai? Are you okay?"

Her eyes, which had been closed since she had begun to fall, opened to look at him.

"Luke. Luke!" Her voice had panicked undertone. "I can't feel my legs! Luke, I can't feel them!"

"Are you sure?" Luke's heart stopped. A fall like that couldn't paralyze someone, could it?

He lifted her into his arms and just as he turned to go up to his apartment, she swung her feet merrily.

"Look! I can move them!" She giggled, as if laughing at a joke only she would get.

Luke's arms almost fell from below her, but she threw her arms around his neck before he dropped her. She hung from his neck, knowing it was painful to him and not caring.

"What the hell?!" she said angrily, glaring up at him.

He glared back, fury lingering in his eyes.

"You shouldn't joke about that!" he said through gritted teeth.

She let go of his neck and stepped away. She crossed her arms and looked down at their feet.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't think it would freak you out so much. I-I'm sorry. I'll go home." She began to turn away, but Luke grabbed her wrist.

"I wasn't 'freaked out'," he said quietly.

Lorelai smiled and hugged him.

"I should go home, though. Like I said: all I needed was a hug."

Luke kissed her quickly on the lips and then pushed her towards the door.

"See you tomorrow?"

"How could you possibly expect me to live without your coffee?" she said happily, blowing him a kiss and turning to leave.

A/N: Did you guys like it? I hope so! There will be tons more drama next chapter. The chapters will be fast paced, seeing how I need to get a lot done in a short time. Talk to you all soon!