Thanks for your nice reviews. Finally, here's the next chapter. Enjoy :)

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Chapter 12

Next day

"Mum!" Rory shouted, waiting for her mother downstairs in the living room.

"Just a second. I can't find… ah damn it…bumped my toe…"

"C'mon. If you want to go to Luke's before work, you better hurry. You know I have a test today and I can't be late." Rory urged, frowning.

"I know, I know." Lorelai hobbled down the stairs, "I'm here, I'm ready. Just with a broken toe but never mind." She held her toe and rubbed it.

"Can we go now, please?"

"Sure. What do you think about my hair?" Lorelai asked.

"Looks good." Rory nodded impatiently.

"Good? They better look fantastic. It took me forty minutes with this damn curl tongs. And I don't even know why I bought this. It's so…" she shook her head. "…whatever, let's go." She rubbed her toe one last time before she followed Rory to the door. "So, are you well prepared for the test today?"

Rory nodded and flipped through the notes in her hands, "I guess."

"Don't be nervous. You can do this. I know you can." Lorelai told her daughter while they climbed into the car.

"I wanted to get up earlier today, that I can review all my notes but I forgot to set my alarm clock. So I have to do it now. In…" she glanced at her watch. "…30 minutes. Great, huh?"

"You have enough time during your bus ride to Hartford. Oh, perfect transition. We have dinner on Wednesday." Lorelai started the car and made her way to the Diner.

"On Wednesday? Why?"

"Because your grandmother cancelled the dinner last Friday and now she wants to make it up and invited us for Wednesday. Isn't this nice?" Lorelai glanced at her daughter, forcing a smile.

"Very." Rory closed the folder with her notes. "That's why she called yesterday, right?"

"Yep. With a perfect timing. Like always. That's her. That's my mother."

Rory turned to look at Lorelai, "Uhm, mum?"

"What, hon'?"

"I know we talked about this yesterday but I was wondering… well, what was that thing with the door?"

"What thing?" Lorelai looked puzzled.

"You know, the thing with your door. When I came upstairs to give you the phone, your door was… well, not where it should have been. Why?"

Lorelai laughed, "Oh, that thing. Woah, I kinda freaked out when I noticed what Luke was going to do. I mean, halloooo? He can't do that with my door, right?"

"But why did he do that?"

"Because I wouldn't let him in."

"I see."

"Yeah, I didn't want to talk to him after I heard what happened with Rachel. So I locked the door. Well, what can I say. He didn't care." Lorelai laughed and parked in front of Luke's Diner.

"Luke's a very determined man." Rory nodded, smiling.

"Definitely." Lorelai chuckled when she thought back as Luke stormed into her room after he put the door out of its hinges. "You know, I never thought that Luke can be so…" she smiled widely and turned to Rory who looked at her with interest.

"So… what?"

"Never mind. Time for my coffee... and L…." she pressed her lips together. "Okay, c'mon." she grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car.

"Time for…?" Rory asked grinning.

"Uhm… those lllllovely pancakes." Lorelai answered and scanned the whole Diner when she closed the door behind her.

"Where do you wanna sit?"

Lorelai's eyes were focused on a woman with long and curly hair, standing behind the counter and talking to one of the guests.

"Mum?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanna sit at the counter?"

"Uhm, no. Let's sit over there." Lorelai shoved Rory to one of the tables at the window.

When they sat, Lorelai bent forward and whispered. "You think that's Rachel?"

Rory turned around and looked at the woman behind the counter. "Either Rachel or his new assistant. Though I'm afraid it's Rachel." She looked at her for a moment before she turned back to her mother. "I think she looks nice."

"Nice? She seems arrogant. And look what she's wearing. One of Luke's flannel shirts. I don't believe this." Lorelai grabbed Rory's hand and shook it. "How can she do this? I've the privilege to wear them, not she."

"Calm down, mum."

"What? I'm just saying… oh.. ssshh… she's coming over."

"Hey, what can I get you?" Rachel asked with a notepad in her hand, looking from Lorelai to Rory.

"A Danish and coffee." Lorelai said.

"Okay, Danish and a cup of coffee." Rachel repeated and wrote it down on the notepad.

"Are you kidding?" Lorelai looked up at her.

"Excuse me?" Rachel said, irritated.

"You better bring the whole coffee pot. This is going to be a long and hard day. And I didn't have any coffee at all today."

"The whole coffee pot?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's what I'm saying, isn't it?"

"Well…" Rachel looked at her confused, "…okay."

"Hon'. What do you want?" Lorelai asked her daughter.

"Doughnut and coffee, please."

"Got it." Rachel nodded and walked back behind the counter.

"What was that about?" Rory asked, frowning.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You don't even know her. So be nice, okay?"

"Oh believe me. I don't intent to know her." She watched Rachel making coffee. "I'm just wondering where Luke is."

"Hmm, maybe upstairs."

"But that's not him. He never left the Diner alone for more than five minutes. Besides this he knew that I would come today. Why isn't he here?"

Suddenly Rory's pager went off. "Oh, it's Dean. He wants to talk to me about something." She told her mum while Rachel brought their food.

"Oh, okay. Do you want me to pick you up after school?"

"This would be great." Rory smiled widely, took a sip of her coffee and grabbed her doughnut before she kissed Lorelai on her cheek and hurried outside, shouting a "Bye Mum." over her shoulder.

While Lorelai sipped her coffee she studied Rachel over the rim of her mug. So, this is Rachel. Well, okay. Lorelai thought and glanced at her watch. She had still a plenty of time left, so she grabbed her mug and walked over to the counter where she sat down on one of the stools. She tapped with her fingers on the surface of the counter and waited for Rachel to look up at her, but she was busy with refilling the ketchup bottles.

So Lorelai started, "Excuse me."

Rachel looked up, "Yes?"

"Where's Luke?"

"He's not here."

"I figured that out already." Lorelai said, trying to stay friendly. "Maybe you could tell me why he's not here?"

"He had to leave town early this morning." Rachel gave her a smile.

"He left town? Why?" And why he didn't tell me? she thought

"Something personal."

"Personal?"

"Look, if you give me your number Luke can give you a call when he's back." Rachel offered friendly.

"Oh, I think he knows my number very well. Thank you." Lorelai forced a smile.

"So, you're a friend of him?"

"You could say so. Yes." Lorelai took a sip of her coffee again.

"Really? I'm Rachel. Nice to meet you. " Rachel offered her hand.

Hesitantly, Lorelai shook it. "Lorelai."

"Lorelai? I like you name. Sounds special and very beautiful." Rachel smiled.

"Thank you. So, what are you doing here Rachel?" Lorelai tried to start a conversation.

"I promised Luke to watch the Diner while he's away. First he wanted to close it but I told him I could stand in for him. Well, it's not that I haven't done it before." Rachel told her smiling.

"That's really nice of you. I know Luke hates to close the Diner even if it's just for a few hours." Lorelai gave her a smile. "But actually I meant what are you doing here. In Stars Hollow?"

"Oh, why I come back here? Well, because I missed this crazy little town… and Luke. Yes, I really missed him." She looked at Lorelai and smiled widely. "Though he can be grumpy. Very grumpy. But I couldn't forget the past we have together. You know, we had a great time and I really missed that while I was away, doing my job. So I came back here. Back to him."

"Uh-huh." Was all Lorelai could say at the moment.

"I mean, you probably know that. He's the best, isn't he?"

"He is. Nice shirt you're wearing."

"Yeah. It's one of Luke's. I like to wear his flannel shirts. They're so comfortable and it feels like in old days. You're a good friend of him, aren't you?"

"Uhm, yes we…"

"Good, good. So please tell me something about his past years. We hadn't that much time to talk and I'm curious what he did all those years. And maybe you know something about his women too."

"His women?" Lorelai asked, swallowing.

"Yes. Do you know something about that? Did he have a girlfriend the last years?"

"I uhm…"

"It's not that I didn't have someone too when I was away. So I'd understand. He's an attractive man after all, isn't he?"

Lorelai nodded and looked down on her hands. "I don't…"

"Lorelai, sweetheart." Babette strolled in.

Thank god. She turned round, "Hey Babette. How's everything?"

"Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine. Do you know if Luke has time to fix my sink. Morty has two left hands when it comes to things like that." Babette confessed sighing.

"Well, I don't know. You have to ask him." Lorelai said.

"I was just wondering because he repaired something for you and…"

"What?" Lorelai asked, nervously and looked at Rachel who brought ordered food to the tables.

"Yes, I saw him leaving your house yesterday. With his toolbox. So I figured he fixed something for you. What did he repair because he left your house pretty late?"

"A lot of things, Babette." Lorelai looked at her watch. "Oh wow. I really gotta go now. I have a staff meeting at the hotel." Lorelai said and grabbed her purse.

"Okay, sugar. Have a nice day."

"Thanks Babette, bye."

xxxxxx

Outside, Lorelai took a deep breath and climbed into her car. Oh god! She thought and laid her head back, closing her eyes. Suddenly her cell phone rang. She rummaged through her purse until she found it and saw the name on the display. With a smile she took the call.

"Hallo."

"Hey, it's me."

"Who's me?" Lorelai joked, smiling.

"Lorelai."

"Okay, okay. How could I not recognize your voice. The same voice who's always telling me I had enough coffee today or offers me decaf because it's healthier. It's even hunting me in my dreams." Lorelai laughed.

"Good to know."

"If you say so." Lorelai answered.

"Yeah. Lorelai, I just wanted to tell you that I'm not in town." He told her, hesitantly.

"Really? Well, then who was the person I talked to at the Diner? Oh, right. My mistake. This must have been Rachel."

"You were at the Diner already?"

"Yeah, just left."

"And you guys talked?"

"Unfortunately. Yeah, I wanted to know why you're not there and then all of a sudden she asked me about your women in life." Lorelai told him, matter of factly.

"What?"

"Yeah. I'd say this conversation took an unexpected turn." Lorelai sighed.

"Yeah, definitely. Uhm, but you haven't told her anything. I mean, about us. Right?"

"Of course not because you have to tell her that. I mean, you're going to tell her everything, will you?" Lorelai asked, hopefully.

"Yes, I promise."

Lorelai's lips twitched into a smile. "Okay. Good. So, where are you?"

"My sister, Liz called me this morning. She's moving into a new apartment in New York and she asked me to help her with all her stuff. I had to leave pretty earlier otherwise I would have called you already."

"Oh okay. Why is that we never see each other before work?" Lorelai asked sighing.

"Maybe it's more romantic when I come to your house after work." Luke told her smiling.

"Yes, but only if we don't have a fight." She laughed. "Oh, I forgot. Babette saw you yesterday night, leaving my house."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Not really."

"But it was almost midnight . She's supposed to sleep in the middle of the night."

"She thought you repaired something for me because you had Bert with you." Lorelai said and smiled at her mention of Bert.

"Really? Then I'll always take Bert with me when I'll visit you in the middle of the night. Then things aren't that obvious." Luke laughed.

She grinned, "Nah. You won't have any luck when you're pounding on my window in the middle of the night. Some of us trying to sleep, you know?"

"Who says I have to knock. I have Bert with me, have I?"

"Luke Danes, are you trying to tell me that you do the same with my window like you did with my door?" she laughed again, totally unaware that she was already too late for work.

"Kind of, yeah."

"You really have no shame, Mister." she added smiling. "So, when you're coming back?"

"That day. I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay. Be careful when you're in this big town." Lorelai grinned.

"Ha-ha. You know that I'm a big boy."

"Yes, you have a point here."

"See. Okay, I have to go. Liz is calling me to drag the next boxes into my truck."

"Aw. Okay." She said and waited a few seconds. "Bye."

"Bye."

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To be continued... Please R&R!