"You're going to have to clean that window."

And with that, Emily Gilmore was gone. Luke still couldn't wrap his mind around everything she had said, the pointed look on her face as she had walked out, the condescending tone that never left her voice. Only two things kept replaying in his head.

"She wants you Luke."

"Go back to her. I promise I will stay out of it."

Suddenly overcome with the need to sit down, Luke walked over to the door, flipped the sign to closed, growled at Kirk who still had his face plastered against the window, and walked up to his apartment, collapsing into the nearest chair, his head in his hands.

What the hell was going on?

He knew he was miserable without Lorelai. He hated what his life had become – he'd physically removed two people from the diner that afternoon, he was burning food left and right, and treating Lane like crap. No one deserved the treatment he was giving them, and he knew it. But his life had turned into a fog. He had barely slept since the break up – which he still couldn't process completely – and even when he had, he dreamed of her.

The play had been such an opportunity for them. He only agreed to help out knowing he'd see Lorelai. And then she wasn't for rehearsal, and he got frustrated, and snapped. He still couldn't believe he'd gone over there and yelled at her over the costumes and gotten into that fight over that and the boat. Hell who was he kidding? That fight was not about anything remotely related to the play, or the boat, and they both knew it. Emotions were running so high in that garage that day. Seeing the hurt in her eyes as she fought back the tears while they fought, then again during that damn song during the play almost killed him. He hated to see her hurting. He wanted so badly to say something to her that night. To take her in his arms, kiss her again, apologize, and make everything okay. Damn both of them for being so stubborn.

So here they were. Not speaking. Miserable – or at least he was – and her mother shows up with this. Telling him "he won"? Since when was Lorelai a prize? Luke was completely incapable of figuring out Emily Gilmore. He could tell by the tone in her voice that she was not completely sincere. But she had said it nonetheless. Emily Gilmore had come to his "rustic" diner to tell him to go back to Lorelai.

Oh God, did he want to.

But what was he supposed to tell Lorelai? "I came back because your mother came to see me." That would not go over well, and he knew it. At the same time, though, to hear from Emily that she was going to stop meddling, as unhappy as she was to say it, was pretty much the confirmation he needed. The little push he'd been looking for, something to convince him that they could work things out. What did he have to lose? He couldn't stand spending another night with out her. He had to at least try.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Luke was locking the diner and on his was to Lorelai's house. He had no idea what he was going to say, he wasn't ready for this at all. He only hoped something would come to him when he saw her.

When Lorelai answered the door, looking drawn and sleepless, all thought left his brain. She looked confused as he stepped toward her and took her in his arms, kissing her passionately for the first time in weeks.

God, he'd missed this.