Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters

Everyone poured into the diner. Lorelai was met with about a thousand hugs of congratulations. Luke received about five before he inevitably retreated to the kitchen. The crowd hung around the diner talking and sharing Luke and Lorelai stories. After about half an hour Taylor finally asked, "Well who won the pool?" Everybody looked at each other dumbfounded. Miss Patty finally spoke up, "Well I have the log over at the studio, let's go find out." They all poured out of the diner and headed to Miss Patti's.

Lorelai sits down at the counter and hollers to Luke, "The coast is clear! You can come out now."

Luke emerges from the kitchen, "I wasn't hiding, if that's what you were thinking."

"Uh-huh." Lorelai smiles and points at the coffee pot.

"I wasn't!" Luke pours her a coffee and sets it in front of her. "I am at work here. I was working on stuff." He says defensively.

"Oh, really? For half an hour straight?" Lorelai takes a sip of her coffee. "Nobody ordered anything, not even water." She lifts her eyebrows and takes another sip.

"Ok. Fine." Luke braces his arms on the counter in front of him, "Those people scare the crap out of me, all right?!"

Lorelai laughs and places her hand on top of his. "Oh Luke, don't ever change." Luke stares at her for a moment and then leans in for a kiss. The entrance bell jingles and he looks up. He straightens up and quickly pulls his hand back from under hers. Lorelai gives him a weird look and says, "Are they back for more?" as she spins around on the stool she asks, "Ok, so who won?" Her face drops, "Mom!"

Emily had seen Lorelai and Luke through the window on her way in, and the guilty look on Luke's face now confirmed that something was definitely going on here. She gives Lorelai a cocky smile and says, "If I'm interrupting something here, I can leave."

"No, Mrs. Gilmore…we were just…I mean, nothing uh…I've got to finish up in the kitchen." Luke stammers before heading back to the kitchen.

Lorelai quickly reaches over the counter and grabs his arm, "Not this time my friend." Luke looks at Lorelai, then at Emily and then back at Lorelai. He felt like he was a kid who got busted with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Luke, could I please have a cup of peppermint tea? If you have any." Emily asks sitting down beside Lorelai.

"Actually, I was just making some for myself before you got here. I'll be right back." He peels Lorelai's hand off his arm, "I do actually have to go to the kitchen for this." He says to her with a little smile before heading into the kitchen.

"So mom, what brings you here?" Lorelai asks looking down at her coffee cup.

"I thought you said you were just friends." Emily says.

"Mom, please." Lorelai says dropping her head.

"Well I just don't understand why you feel that you can't be honest with me." Emily says in a hurt voice.

"I was being honest with you mom."

"You look like more than 'just friends' to me Lorelai."

Lorelai looks up at the ceiling, "Well, a lot has happened since I talked to you."

Emily looks at Lorelai, "You talked to me last night!"

Lorelai smiles but remains quiet. Emily is trying to understand what her daughter is talking about, when Luke emerges from the kitchen carrying the tea. Emily snaps at him, "What did you do to my daughter?"

Luke freezes then glances at Lorelai. She looks completely amused. He looks back at Emily, "I just kissed her, I swear!" he states, setting down the tea. He looks back at Lorelai and gives her a nervous smile.

"Oh." Emily says flatly. "But this can't be the first time you kissed her?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm pretty sure it was." Luke replies.

Emily turns and looks at Lorelai confused. "You've had a thing for him for years, and you only kissed him now?"

Lorelai can feel the blood drain from her face, then immediately fill back up. "Uh, mom. Why don't we go back to my house now." She gets up and puts on her coat, completely avoiding eye contact with Luke, who is grinning ear to ear.

"But I just got my tea?" Emily says, looking at her daughter like she's nuts.

"Mom!"

"Fine Lorelai. Thanks for the tea Luke. So I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow night then." Emily raises her eyebrows at Luke. He opens his mouth to decline but Emily cuts in first, "It's part of the package I'm afraid. You'll have to get used to it if you plan on dating my daughter."

Luke looks at Lorelai, who is glaring at her mother, then turns back to Emily, "Then I guess I'll be there."

Lorelai looks up at Luke and he smiles back at her. As Emily and Lorelai turn to leave Luke calls out, "Lorelai, don't forget, 5:30."

She turns back, "How could I forget. See you then." She gives him a shy grin and leaves.