Disclaimer: These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Author's Note: This is chapter three of what will be a six-part story. I am hoping to be able to post more chapters tomorrow thanks to the blizzard and a shortened work week.

Friendship

The next morning Lorelai threw herself into the work of the inn to try to escape the thoughts running through her mind. It took all her effort to put on a happy face. She was able to fool most of the guests as she wandered through the dining room during breakfast, but Luke could see through the veneer of cheerfulness and she wouldn't meet his eyes. Lorelai was purposely avoiding Sookie as well, knowing she would be able to tell that something was wrong. At least Sookie was swamped with breakfast preparations, so there weren't many opportunities for exchanges beyond, "We need more muffins," or "The pancakes are going like crazy!"

Rory was another story. The night's sleep, though not at all peaceful, had given Lorelai enough distance from her own situation to be able to begin to process what had happened with Rory and Dean. She couldn't remember Rory ever doing anything quite so stupid. It rivaled some of her own teenage behavior, which was a very disturbing thought. She was so torn between her disappointment in Rory's behavior and her desperate need to talk to someone. Rory was the only one she had confided in about Luke and given the current situation she wasn't inclined to include anyone else in the mess. Rory had tried this morning to talk to her, to ask how she was doing and press her for details about what had made her upset. Lorelai had told her she was fine, that she just needed to get to work. Rory had been cold after that, especially when Lorelai had asked how she was doing and if she wanted to talk about Dean. So things were at a stalemate, with both of them unwilling to let their guards down enough to let the other help them. Rory was afraid she deserved her mothers harsh judgment, and Lorelai was worried that there might be a ring of truth in what Jason had said.

It was close to the end of breakfast that Michel came to find her, saying something about a delivery that needed to be accepted by her and her only.

"Delivery, what delivery?"

"I do not know, but it is apparently too important for my little brain to comprehend."

"Fine. Okay," Lorelai said as she followed him to the lobby. She stopped when she saw a deliveryman holding a large flower arrangement.

Before she had a chance to wonder who they were from, the deliveryman said, "I have a delivery for Lorelai Gilmore from Jason Stiles."

Lorelai froze and the blood drained from her face. "Take. Them. Away," she said, each word firm and final.

"But, I have very specific instruc -"

"I don't care. I will not accept them. Leave now." The deliveryman heard the forcefulness in her tone and turned to leave. Lorelai turned and leaned on the front desk, breathing hard. She saw Michel looking at her with something almost like concern."

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing, we just had a fight and I can't believe that he thinks flowers will fix it. I'm fine. I just need a minute."

"Okay," he answered, watching her as he headed toward the kitchen.

Lorelai looked up from where she was standing and noticed the flowers from Luke at the end of the desk. She leaned over and smelled them, a sad smile on her face. After a few seconds she lifted her head and saw Luke looking at her from across the room.

He managed to catch her eyes briefly, before she sighed and looked down.

He walked toward her as she said, "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough. He has some nerve." He looked at her and could tell that she was struggling to hold back tears. "Lorelai, can you look at me? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, no, not really fine, but I have guests and I need to be fine." She still wouldn't look at him, so afraid of what she would see in his eyes.

"Can we talk? It doesn't have to be now, and we don't have to do the movie tonight if you're not up to it, but I do want to talk to you."

She wondered if Luke really thought she wasn't up for the movie or if it was his way of easing himself out of the obligation. In all honesty, she probably wasn't up to it, but it hurt a bit that he had suggested canceling it first. "Luke, I don't know what to think now. I'm all mixed up and Rory and I had a huge fight when I went home last night and this…" she continued as she gestured around the inn. "I just can't think about any of it right now."

"What's going on with Rory? Did you tell her what happened?"

"I can't talk about it. Just suffice it to say that Rory and I aren't really communicating right now."

Luke could hear the pain in her voice and tried hard to imagine what they could possibly have fought about, that would have superceded Lorelai's need for Rory last night.

"Did you get my note?" She nodded and he continued, "I meant what I said. I am here for you no matter what. I have to go back to the diner now, but I wanted to tell you before I left, if you need anything, give me a call."

"Right now I just need to not think about this, so that I can run my inn."

"Okay, take care of yourself and really anything…"He looked at her for another moment before turning to pick up his bag and head for the door. He couldn't help but admire her strength, but part of him wished that she would just break down so that he could hold her in his arms and comfort her.

As he was about to step out of the door, he heard, "Luke?"

"Yeah?" he said as he turned.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Anytime."

She still wouldn't look at him.

Lorelai walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the coffee. Now that breakfast was winding down, the guests were wandering the grounds, planning horseback rides and taking advantage of other amenities. Lorelai just needed to get away from all the activity for a few minutes. She had almost made it out of the kitchen on her way to hide in her office, when Sookie pulled her aside.

"Lorelai, are you okay?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Because it's taking all your effort to hold that smile in place and I heard that you were really upset that Jason sent you flowers."

"Well, I broke up with him and he won't take the hint. And I'm going to kill Michel."

"Michel was concerned, which frankly, was what made me concerned. He said this went beyond the 'I'm annoyed that my ex-boyfriend won't go away' and was more like 'I'm afraid because my ex-boyfriend won't go away.' Did something happen with Jason last night? Did he do something to you?"

"I really don't want to talk about this now," she said, but her voice was starting to waver.

"Lorelai, this is starting to sound serious. Come in here and talk to me," Sookie said as she dragged Lorelai into her office. "Now tell me what happened."

"I had a nasty fight with Jason. He said some really awful things about me. Then this morning he sends me flowers as if that would make up for it." As she recalled last night's confrontation, Sookie could see that she was getting visibly upset. "It was just so ugly."

"Did something happen to make him angry? He didn't seem angry last night, just persistent." After a moment of silence, Sookie continued, "Lorelai, is there something I'm missing here?" Lorelai had turned away from her so Sookie put her hand on her shoulder and pulled her around to look her in the eye.

Lorelai glanced at Sookie and then looked down, "Luke kissed me."

"What? That's so exciting. You guys have been dancing around each other for years. I've always thought you two should be together. Wow! This is great, finally! How did it happen? I want details – Wait, what does this have to do with Jason?"

"He saw us."

"Oh, and he was jealous?"

"He was the green-eyed monster on crack. He went off about how now he knew the reason that I actually broke up with him and it wasn't about the lawsuit."

"He thought you were cheating on him with Luke?"

"Yes, and then he said I was only cared about the sex and pissing off my mother, but he actually loved me and Luke better not get too attached unless he was only interested in a roll in the hay. Then he said some things about Luke and how I only wanted him because my mom would hate him worse than Jason. Sookie, it was awful and Luke was there the whole time, listening to what he said."

"But Luke isn't going to care what Jason says. He's crazy about you. He has been for years."

"That may all change, now that Jason exposed the real me."

"What are you talking about? Are you crazy?"

"Am I not the queen of failed relationships? Maybe he's right, that I'm not capable of having a real relationship."

"That's ridiculous. You didn't fall for Jason because he's not your type. His first priority will always be his job and that's not good enough for you."

"But it's not just Jason. All my relationships are failures."

"That's because you haven't dated Luke yet."

"Sookie…"

"You like him as much as he likes you and because of that you'll never be happy with someone else."

"Is that Sookie Psych 101?"

"No, that's what been so obvious to everyone around you, except for you and Luke."

"It doesn't matter now. I'll never be able to face him and I don't think he wants me anyway. He cancelled our date for tonight."

"You had a date for tonight? Why didn't I know about this?"

"Well before, I wasn't actually sure it was a 'date' date, but then he brought me flowers and well, there was the kiss."

"So it is a date?"

"Was a date, he cancelled it."

"Did he say why?"

"He said he didn't think I would be up for it, but I think that he is just trying to get himself out of this whole mess."

"Or maybe trying to give you some space. Lorelai, have you talked to Luke about what happened?"

"No."

"No?"

"I can't look at him. When Jason started pressing me about what was going on, I was having a hard time figuring out what to say about Luke and he looked so hurt and angry. Then Jason said all those horrible things about me and about Luke. Sookie, I'm so ashamed."

"So you got into a screaming match with you ex-boyfriend while your potential new boyfriend looked on. You were really hurt and yet you haven't talked to or even looked at Luke since then? Lorelai, Luke probably thinks you are regretting kissing him and that's why you won't talk to him."

"How could he want to go out with me after what Jason said?"

"Because he's not an idiot. That doesn't sound like the issue anyway. Do you want to go out with him?"

"I don't know, I'm afraid of hurting him, like I hurt all guys I date."

Sookie groaned with frustration. Luke and Lorelai were finally getting together and Lorelai was managing to talk herself out of it before it even began. Why couldn't Lorelai see that Luke was different than anyone else she had dated?"

"Okay, let's try another tack here. Lorelai, the kiss, tell me about the kiss. Where, when, how? What happened?

"Well, here enters Jason again."

"What?"

"Well, Luke was talking to Jason and he said we were still together, that we were going through a 'rough patch.'"

"The nerve."

Well, Luke got angry and confronted me about it. He said he thought we were on the same page but then my boyfriend showed up and I was like, what boyfriend, we broke up. Then Luke said he'd never bought flowers for anyone and I told him I loved the flowers and he said at the wedding that there was a moment and I said yes there was a moment and then he kissed me."

"Was that when Jason saw you?"

"No, that was after the second kiss."

"There was a second kiss?" Sookie was almost jumping up and down with excitement.

"After the first kiss, Luke just stood there looking at me like he couldn't believe what he had just done. He was just looking at me, waiting to see what I was going to do, and then I kissed him."

"You kissed him!" Now Sookie really was jumping up and down.

"We were about to kiss again when Jason saw us and well you know the rest."

"So how was it?"

"How was what?"

"The kiss, my god, the kiss!"

"It was amazing," she said softly, and Sookie could see sadness wash over her face as Lorelai thought about what she had potentially lost.