A/N: I got fifty something reviews, so I'm posting the new chapter. Will Lorelai get to Luke in time? I should hope so! I'll note at the end of the chapter, so beware!

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Chapter 6: The Plan and Its Defects

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Lorelai and Babette discussed 'The Plan', talking urgently and making strategies. After a half hour of deliberation, Babette went to contact friends of hers and Lorelai was left to climb the stairs to the bathroom.

Lorelai took a long, hot shower to calm her nerves. When she was finished she dressed in one of her most dazzling outfits. Her make up perfected and her hair brushed into loose curls, Lorelai made her way downstairs and grabbed her purse, hurrying outside.

She drove to Luke's and as she did, she noticed that the town seemed empty. Yes. That meant the Plan was in effect. She parked a block away from the diner and walked the rest of the way there. She got to the front of the diner and stood staring. At least a fourth of the population of Stars Hollow was standing at the locked door, standing quietly.

"Babette?" Lorelai called. The little woman trotted out of the crowd smiling widely.

"Lorelai! We have more people around back, blocking that exit too. The Plan's working! Luke'll never get out! Ah, doll, I hope everything works out."

"Thanks, Babette."

Lorelai and Babette pushed through the crowd to the door, the large group of people suddenly uproaring with noise.

Behind Lorelai, Kirk pressed the button on a walkie-talkie and could be heard saying, "The eagle has landed, Hawk One. The eagle has landed."

On the other line, through the fuzz, Patty said, "Talk regular, Kirk. We're not in the military."

Lorelai turned and looked at the crowd, who were smiling back at her.

"Hey guys!" she called.

Upstairs a window opened and Luke poked his head through. "What the Hell's going---" He stopped short, seeing the humongous group. He cursed inaudibly and slammed the window. The crown quieted to silence and stomping could be heard coming down the stairs. Lorelai quickly hid behind a few people at Babette's push, smiling suddenly. Luke showed up at the door, unlocked it and stood staring at the people. "What the hell are you all doing? I need to get my stuff out and in order to do that, you need to get the hell out of the way!"

Babette bravely stepped forward, her expression stubborn. "We're not moving an inch! Not unless you agree to the treaty."

"Treaty?"

"Yes. We will only move if you talk to someone for us."

"Who---"

He stopped suddenly as Lorelai stepped into the empty little circle the group had unconsciously made.

"Me."

Luke stared at her, admiring her beauty and hating her for supporting the lunatics all at the same time. Instead of replying, he slammed the door in her face, the same way she had to him, and stomped off towards the back door. He heard voices on the other side and when he opened it he found an equally as large group as out front.

"What do you want from me?!" he yelled.

"You'd only be back here if the others informed you of the Plan. You know what we want," Miss Patty said from the front of the crowd.

Luke's face turned cherry red and he once again slammed the door on them. He stood for a second, debating over what to do. He could agree with them and talk to Lorelai, as much as he didn't want to, or he could ignore them and rot in here. He frowned.

When Luke appeared at the front door again, Lorelai smiled.

"What do I have to do?" he asked quietly.

"Talk to Lorelai for an hour, coffee provided, and listen to her argument. Then you can choose to leave."

"Fine. Get in here," he spat at Lorelai, who felt anger prick at the back of her mind. She followed him in and he closed the door and blinds behind her.

"State your case so I can get out of here."

Lorelai stared at him, hurt. Was he really so set on leaving her that he wouldn't even listen?

"I would like coffee," she said, tilting her chin upwards. Luke put a pot on and stared at her.

"So?"

"I have come to...to apologize."

"Of course. Here it comes."

"Don't be cruel, Luke, or I won't talk at all." He waited for her to continue, but she remained silent.

"Will you just say what you came to say?" Luke asked suddenly, harshly.

Lorelai stared at him again. "I'm sorry, Luke."

"I'm sure you are."

"Stop being a dumbass!" she shouted suddenly. "You think it's easy for me to tell you this? It's not! I wish I could turn and run away, but I know that's not an option! I came here to change your mind, to make you stay! You decided to leave without all of the facts! You actually accused me without all of the facts, but for now we're going to ignore that. Before I continue, I have to ask you one thing."

"What?" Luke asked quietly, not looking at her.

"Did you ever love me?"

Luke looked up then, watching her curiously. She was gazing at him, her eyes wide, waiting for an answer. She was completely serious. He moved away from the counter where he was standing and moved past her to the stairs. He climbed up them, not wanting to answer her question.

Lorelai watched him go, confused. She followed, though, suspicious. When entered the apartment, she found him on the bed they had shared so many times, staring at his hands.

"You won't answer me?" she asked.

He didn't reply. She went to the couch and sat down.

"I'm pregnant, Luke. And I know you already know that, but I just needed to tell you that I don't want to raise this baby alone. I want its father to be there too, next to me. Luke, I wanna wake up next to you every morning. I want to smell breakfast in my house when I wake up. I never want any coffee other than yours." She paused a second. "I...I need to tell you something, Luke. And it's important. The most important thing I've ever said in my life. I've never said it to any man, or woman for that matter. I need to get this out before you leave,"

She stopped and sat in silence, gathering her nerves.

"Don't just sit there," Luke commented dryly, not really believing what she was saying. His mind was already prepared for the loveless life he knew he was about to live. He wouldn't let anything in and it was making him cruel.

"I love you, Luke," she said sadly, tears falling from her blue eyes. "I'm in love with you." She said no more and let her statement sit in the air. Her tears rolled down her cheeks. Hot, salty tears of utter sadness. It seemed that Luke no longer loved her. And why was she surprised? She would hate herself too. She had been a selfish bitch, to put it one way.

Luke looked up and stared at her. What had she said? Instead of relief, he felt anger. There was relief, but it walked hand in hand with disbelief. "You love me?" he said accusingly. "If you love me, you wouldn't have canceled all of our dates to be with your ex-boyfriend. If you love me, you would have told me the truth. If you love me, and didn't want him, you could have told him to take care of himself while you were on a date. If you love me, you would have kicked him out before anything happened between you two. If you love me, you never would have let him stay with you!"

She was taken aback. He wasn't supposed to react this way. He was supposed to lift her into his arms and hug her and kiss her and make love to her, telling her he loved her. But he wasn't. He was mad. He was actually angry that she loved him.

"You don't care, do you?!" she yelled. She stood, her body rigid. "All you care about is me only paying attention to you! What if I had canceled a date to be with my daughter? Would you hate me then too?"

He sighed, the anger leaving him. "How do I know it's the truth, Lorelai?" He stood and walked over to her. "How do I believe you?"

"You just have to trust me."

"I don't know if I can."

"How do I get you to trust me?"

"I don't know."

He really didn't know what it would take for him to believe her statement of love. He didn't really have any reasons not to believe her. She technically hadn't lied about Christopher. She just didn't tell him why she was canceling the dates. He needed to think things over.

"I need to leave, Lorelai."

Her heart clenched at his words. He still didn't care.

"I...I need to think. I need to look at all of the facts and take a long, hard look at our relationship."

"Will you come back?"

"I don't know. I promised I'd leave, remember?"

"I don't want you to leave."

"I need to take a break, Lorelai. I need to get away. I need to not see you."

"Do you even care that I love you?"

"If you did, I would be the happiest man alive."

With that, he left her in his apartment. He trudged down the stairs and out to the front of his diner.

"I need to leave, Babette."

"I can't let you go until the two of you have talked."

"We talked."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't wanna do anything that I'd regret later, Babette." Babette gazed at him, seeing the abused and tired blue of his eyes. She sighed and turned to her friends. "Move out, troops!" she called. She turned back to Luke, her face sad. "I'm sorry Luke. We just wanted to help."

"I understand."

"Kirk, give me that," Babette said to the man next to her, grabbing the walkie-talkie from his hand. "We're leaving, Patty. We gotta let the poor man leave."

"Why?" came Patty's whine. "We need to try harder."

"Ah, Patty, if you saw the look in his eyes, you'd know it was the end, too."

As soon as he could, Luke hurried to his truck parked near the side of the diner and jumped in. He turned it on and drove away.

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Lorelai sat in stunned silence for a moment. She had driven Luke away. Despair washed over her and her bottom lip trembled. She stood shakily and went downstairs. Behind the counter, she stood and stared at the last coffee made by Luke that she would ever drink. When she reached for a cup, she heard the engine of his truck starting up.

Wait a minute. She couldn't just give up. This man was the love of her life. Her soul mate! She had to fight harder than this!

Lorelai, forgetting the coffee, ran outside to see Luke's green truck leaving Stars Hollow. She ran after it for a few feet before realizing her car was the opposite way. She saw Andrew walking towards her and stopped him.

"Andrew! Where's your car?"

"I'm going to it now. Why?" he asked, surprised.

"Where is it? I need to borrow it! Luke's leaving and I need to catch up with him and stop him. But he knows what my car looks like. He doesn't, however, know what yours looks like. Please, Andrew, where is it?"

"Right there," he said cautiously, pointing. "Here, you can borrow it."

"Oh! Thank you, Andrew! Here, take my keys!" She shoved her own in his hand, snatched his keys, and sprinted as fast as she could in her heels to Andrews little car. In seconds she was off at speeds she would never again attempt. In a mere matter of five minutes, she could see Luke's truck just fifty feet in front of her. With Luke in it.

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Yay! Cliffhanger, almost. Lorelai to the rescue!

(Someone asked me how old I was. I'm sixteen.)

I am so excited for their first fight. Its gonna be so good. I'm too tired to talk a lot. I love Luke and I got mad at myself when I made him a bastard. They're so out of character... That's okay. I'll post with 65 reviews. Ah, bribery. Love you guys! (Maybe 60, if I'm in a good mood tomorrow, :) )