Hey - Didn't take me long to write this one! I'm just writing them as I go so I'm not sure where I'm actually going to, lol so any suggestions would be great :). Thanks for all the great feedback, that's why I got this chapter up so soon!! I really appreciate it and I love that you like my story :)

Enjoy! Review and tell me what you think or give me suggestions if you have any!

P.S - I added in a quote that Emily actually said in the 1st episode, just to put a bit of the real story in even if it's just a line ;-)

CHAPTER 21 – Dancing 'Til Dawn

Lorelai had just driven back from New Haven after driving down with some of Rory's things, Rory didn't have enough room in her car for everything. She remembered the year before when she had convinced Luke to lend her his truck, 'God that thing was crappy to drive' she thought remembering her driving it in reverse down the street because it wouldn't go forward.

It was Friday night so she had to go to dinner tonight so at least she would see Rory there, she had a Yale newspaper meeting early the Saturday morning so it made sense that she would go back a day earlier and get settled in.

Lorelai pulled up to the diner, she was supposed to be at the Inn but she needed some coffee before she went to try and cheer herself up now that Rory had left again for another year.

"Coffee" Lorelai groaned as she sat down on the stool.

"Nice to see you too"

"I just left Rory to Yale so she's going to be away for another year, I have dinner with the grandparents tonight and tomorrow is the dance marathon so I'm going to be awake for 24 hours straight – sorry if I'm not dancing on tables right now"

"Mmm good point" he said as he poured her a cup of coffee and gave her a donut.

"Hey doll"

"O hey Babette"

"You look tired, you okay honey?"

"Yeah I was just up early packing up Rory's things for Yale"

"Aw sugar, I hate when she leaves. You need to get your sleep tonight for the dance marathon tomorrow"

"Yeah I know"

"That man you're going with, wow, rake me off a piece of that!"

"Babette!" Lorelai said in a high pitched tone, although her comment was not at all surprising to Lorelai, she had been saying that type of thing for years. Word had managed to get around the town about her going to the dance with Jenson, she knew that it wasn't a date but the rest of the town had other ideas. She looked over at Luke who was gritting his teeth at Babette's comments and just continued to wipe the counter, a little harder than he usually would.

Luke stood and wiped the counter furiously, he had been hearing the whole town comment about Lorelai and 'that guy' the last few days and it was beyond annoying. He also had to deal with the guy himself coming in for coffee every morning, once or twice he noticed Lorelai and him joking about. He wasn't sure whether he was annoyed more by the fact that she was going with him to the dance and he would be touching her for 24 hours or was it the fact that it could have been with her, looking at her and holding her for that time and he had been too stubborn to say yes.

7.05pm – The Gilmore Residence

"Hey mom"

"Hello Lorelai"

"Is Rory here yet?"

"Yes she's here, she unlike you seems to be in possession of a watch" Emily said frowning at her daughter before turning around and walking into the lounge as Lorelai followed.

"Hey mom" Rory said as she gave her mom a quick hug.

"Hi hon – you get all you're stuff unpacked?"

"Yeah almost"

"So where's dad?" Lorelai asked her mom, not seeing him anywhere.

"He'll be in in a minute"

"Where is he?"

"Coming in from the pool"

"Dad? Did he just watch Titanic and feel the urge for a little evening dip?"

"I need to tell you both something important"

"What is it Grandma?" Rory asked concerned as Lorelai just sat there with a frown on her face.

"Richard and I have separated" there were a few seconds of silence as Lorelai waited for her mom to continue.

"And..." Lorelai said.

"What do you mean and? Is that not enough? You need some kind of mob related offy to make it interesting"

"No, it's just that you were being so serious, so we kinda thought it was something we didn't already know"

"We only just separated"

"Well you went on a trip to Europe without dad, it's not exactly brain science to work out you two were having problems"

"Lorelai, I just wanted to inform you that you're father and I have separated, would you prefer I kept it from you like you keep almost everything from me"

"So dinner smells nice" Rory said, trying to change the subject.

"Mom, I do not keep things from you, I tell you when it's the right time"

"You mean when you were getting married and I find out from a complete stranger, that kind of right time?"

"God mom not this again"

"Or when you're dating your father's business partner for nearly six months behind our backs and when his father lets it's slip that you two are dating, that kind of right time?"

"Jeez" Lorelai said as she put her hands over her face.

"Why don't you want to tell your own mother about your life Lorelai?" Emily said trying to get Lorelai to tell her about Luke, they had been dating for quite a while, he was a big part of Rory's life as well, she grew so impatient at having to wait for Lorelai to give her even the tiniest snippet about her life.

"Because mom, you ever think that maybe I wanna enjoy what I have before I have the Emily band and her judgement parade marching down my street telling me what to do and keeping a record of all my mistakes" Lorelai said loudly as she stood up from the sofa.

"Well by the time we find out it's too late anyway, we were ready for you to marry Max, you didn't. Then you and Chris finally got it together and then that ends, surprise surprise and then Jason, although I'm not sorry about you and Jason. That boy just wants some arm candy."

"So what are you saying? That I should just not tell you because there's no point?"

"Would you lower you're voice Lorelai! I just wish you would finally settle down, you're a grown woman for goodness sake and stop running from man to man"

"Huh" Lorelai said as he anger turned to hurt, she stood up and walked out, Rory out after her.

"Mom!"

"Don't ask me to stay Rory, I need to get out of this house or I'm going to suffocate. You know I thought they had changed, I really did think that things were getting better but they are the same people that I ran away from at sixteen"

"Are you gonna be okay?" Rory asked, understanding that it wasn't fair on her mom to ask her to stay when she clearly didn't want to and was upset.

"I'll be fine once I'm out of Lucifer's reach" she said as she shot a look in toward the lounge.

"Okay well I'll call later" Rory said hugging her mom.

"Bye" Lorelai said simply, still mad but not wanting to take it out on Rory.

"Lukes" Luke said as he answered the telephone in a gruff voice, it had been a long day.

"Luke?"

"Rory? Everything okay?"

"Not really, mom just had a huge blow out with grandma and left upset and she's on her way home and I have to go back to Yale tonight so can you call in and check she's okay?"

"Yeah sure no problem"

"Thanks Luke"

"She'll be fine Rory don't worry, thanks for the heads up"

"Okay have to get back to the table, bye Luke and thanks"

"Bye"

Luke closed up the diner a bit earlier so that he could call over and see Lorelai, it was getting harder and harder to keep them a secret these days. He brought her over some coffee in a brown paper bag knowing that she would probably need it.

"Hey" he said when she answered the door.

"Hi"

"You didn't say you were coming over" she asked questioningly.

"Why is there a problem?"

"No, just you didn't say"

"You okay?" he asked concerned, he knew from the way that she was acting that she wasn't.

"I'm fine"

"You sure?"

"Did Rory call you?" she asked but she knew from the look on his face that she had.

"She was worried"

"Jeez... I'm 37 years old, I can sort out my own life"

"I know"

"I don't need help, I have got along perfectly fine so far"

"I know you have, but I wanna help"

"Why?" she asked pointedly.

"What?" he answered, confused as to whether this was a trick question.

"Why do you wanna help me Luke?"

"I think you know why Lorelai"

"Why?"

"Because I love you"

"Why? I mean I'm just gonna screw it up like I always do, you shouldn't even waste your time with me" Lorelai said as she said down on the couch with her hands over her face. Luke sat down beside her, he put an arm around her so that she was leaning against him. It had always made him uncomfortable when women cried but with her it was different, with Lorelai he just wanted to make everything okay. Like the time when she had broken down in the park about money problems with the Inn and he had fixed it by lending her the money.

She hugged him tightly. She knew he was there for her but would he always be? I mean she had screwed up every other relationship she had ever had, she had run away so many times, this would just be another for her mother to add to the list Lorelai thought.

"Talk to me" Luke whispered into her ear after a few minutes of silence.

"I...don't wanna lose you Luke"

"What are you talking about? I'm right here"

"But what about later? I have screwed up and run away so many times, how can you be so sure that I won't do it again and run from you?"

"Because I won't let you run"

"I don't wanna screw this up" she said looking up at him, he rarely saw her like this, she looked like a scared little girl.

"You won't"

"How do you know?"

"I just know" he replied simply. She smiled at him, he always said 'I just know' when she asked him things, and she loved that she trusted him enough to believe that.

"I'm not gonna leave you" Luke said as he kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug.

5.15 am the next day...

"I need coffee"

"You need you're head examined for taking part in that stupid contest" he answered as he slid a coffee cup over to her.

"Funny"

"I thought so" he said grinning at her.

"Will you visit me during our ten minute breaks?"

"I might"

"You better"

"Or what?"

"Or else no more sleepovers"

"I'll be there" he said grinning at her as she smiled wickedly at him over her coffee mug. She finished her third cup of coffee about fifteen minutes later, she said goodbye to Luke and made her way over to the gym to meet Jenson.

"Hey" Jenson said tapping her shoulder from behind. She was wearing a black dress, it accented her figure nicely and flared out a bit at the bottom.

"Hi" she said as she admired his fashion sense, he was wearing black trousers with a light blue shirt, no tie and collar undone. She found herself staring a bit longer than natural at Jenson, he looked like he just jumped out a of GQ magazine.

"Nice dress"

"You two... I mean nice shirt" she said trying to get the words out as she smiled back at him.

They went to the medical check which took a while to get through the queue. He was easy to talk to, there were a few awkward moments at the start but after she found out that he was a movie buff the conversation just flowed.

They made their way onto the dance floor a few minutes before it was due to start, he took one hand in his and placed the other hand on her side like Luke had done when they had first danced. It was a bit weird at the start for Lorelai having a man she barely knew dancing with her but she soon grew comfortable as they chatted normally.

"So how long have you been with you're boyfriend?" he asked her a few hours into the dancing.

"Well we've known each other for years, it kinda just happened recently"

"Nice"

"Yeah"

"So there was no real passion there to begin with?"

"What?" she asked looking at him strangely.

"Well I've just heard a lot that people who are friends first and become lovers don't have a lot of passion."

"Huh, well I think we're fine" she said quickly.

"Sorry if that was too personal"

"It's fine. So what about you? How come you don't have a girlfriend?"

"Well if I knew what drove them away I wouldn't be single" he said grinning, "I dunno, my last serious girlfriend was about a year ago, we were engaged but she wasn't exactly faithful"

"Aw that sucks"

"Yeah it does"

"Actually my friend was married up until a few months ago when he caught his wife having an affair" Lorelai said as she mentioned Luke.

"Ouch"

"Yeah"

"Subject change?" he suggested.

"That'd be good" she said laughing.

"Okay when's a door not a door" he said smiling.

"Dunno" she said smiling back, he told the lamest jokes but he was so cute the way he told them.

"When it's ajar" he said and laughed.

"That's worse than the last one" she said but laughed.

Luke stood at the doorway to the gym as he looked in at them dancing, he was jealous at the way they were talking, smiling and laughing all the time, they really did look like a couple. He couldn't wait until their break when he could maybe get some alone time with Lorelai, he hated seeing her dancing with someone else and was kicking himself for not just saying yes when she had asked him.

19 hours in...

"God I'm tired" Lorelai whined as she and Jenson gently swayed from side to side. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they danced trying to stay awake but she found herself falling asleep every few minutes. She was looking forward to her next break when she could see Luke, she had wanted to get some alone time with him in the last break and she could tell he had too but there was always someone around and when they finally did get some time alone Jenson had turned up to give her a sandwich.

"You must have men in this town falling at your feet" he said out of the blue as he smiled at her showing off his perfect teeth.

"Yes I do, but usually it's 'cos they tripped over something and land on me" she said laughing but not failing to notice how charming he could be.

"Well you're definitely the most gorgeous woman in town"

"Um thanks" she said as she started to blush a bit. She didn't notice that he had pulled her closer and whispered it in her ear, but Luke who had been watching had...