A New Day

Chapter 4

By Sacara

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I just borrow them and promise to bring them back all well and happy.

A/N: Sorry for the delay – real live just took over  .. Anyway I'll try to update every few days again from now on. Chapter 5 is almost ready anyway. Thanks again for the interest and please, please keep on commenting on the chapters – I really love to know what you think of it :) … begs

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The doorbell jingled and they stood in the diner. Luke was just serving a young couple when he spotted the Gilmores. He raised his eyebrows slightly surprised.

"Hi you two – come on in. Sit where you want! I'll be right there!" Lorelai looked at him and said.

"Uh, hi – oh I forgot, I have to make a call!" She freed her arm from Rory's, turned and rushed out of the diner.

"Mum!"

"Lorelai – Wait!"

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Luke was just about to rush out after Lorelai when he looked at Rory who simply shrugged. For a second he seemed to search for something in her eyes that could help him in this situation with her mother. Anyway he somehow knew that he had to do this. He had to go after Lorelai, talk to her, straighten things out between them. He looked at Rory again just to make sure she was okay.

"Rory you just sit and have breakfast. I'm going after your mum!"

"O-kay. Maybe you should!" that made Luke stare intensely into her eyes which in turn made Rory become flustered and she looked away.

"Do you – do you know? Did she tell you or did you know all along?" Luke asked her kind of awkwardly.

Rory fidgeted with her hair nervously and put it behind her ears. She looked up at him sadly then couldn't look him in the eyes anymore. Somehow it was hard to talk to him about this. It didn't feel right. This was none of her business and she felt as if she'd rather keep out it.

"Well yes and no – she told me yesterday. I kept nagging her until she told me and she did finally!" Rory still kept staring at the floor and kind of mumbled the last words. Luke understood just fine though and he sighed. He raised one hand to lightly touch the girl on her arm. Rory gazed up at him and looked grateful.

"I'll go after her – stay here, I'll bring her back with me. Promise!" he smiled one of his rare smiles and Rory smiled back warmly.

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Luke turned and rushed to the door opened it and ran out to go after Lorelai. He saw her walking

past Doose's. She hadn't been getting very far, so she must have been standing somewhere or sitting somewhere, because if she really had been going fast she would have been home by now. He was so confused and was not even sure what he should be telling her now but he knew that he had to talk to her.

This could not be going on. They had to make up, had to get back to normal if that was even possible. It was Sunday. They still had two days to talk about things. Two days. As soon as Nicole would be back it would be really hard to talk. Nicole was very jealous and even more so she and Lorelai didn't get along well.

Suddenly he noticed the significance in the sentence. Nicole must have sensed something otherwise she wouldn't have been that weird when it came to Lorelai. Maybe she knew that Lorelai felt something for him, it was just that he himself had never known. Call it a woman's intuition. He had been so darn oblivious. It would almost be funny if it wasn't that tragic! He thought sarcastically.

He almost was beside her when she all of a sudden turned and yelled.

"Stop! Don't come any closer. Go back. I really can't take it at the moment. Give me some time, Luke! I didn't think it would be that hard. I mean I always felt like that and now I can't handle it anymore. Now that you …."

Luke grabbed her wrist loosely to bar her from walking away again. Lorelai stared at his hand wide-eyed and seemed so shocked at the touch that he let her go again. She looked away sadly, and shook her head.

"Look Lorelai, this can't go on. I know that this whole situation is kind of weird and must be hard for you!" Luke slurred in his own way of talking.

Lorelai just shook her head.

"Luke, it's just that I am so ashamed and I feel so guilty that I somehow ruined our friendship..!"

"Whoa, whoa Lorelai what are you talking about – we're still friends! I mean at least I thought so. I won't let anything ruin this really great friendship we have. It's special. It always was and you know that as well as I do. It would be completely stupid to let this come between us. We'll figure it out. We've had worse, don't you think?" and with those words he raised one hand and nudged her shoulder softly with his knuckles.

Luke smiled at her. He smiled so tenderly and Lorelai almost started to cry again. Actually she thought she hadn't any more tears left but apparently she was wrong. Feelings welled up inside of her and suddenly she had the irresistable yearning to just grab this man by his strong arms and kiss him -straight on his lush lips. She stared at his mouth and licked her lips then put her lower lip between her teeth.

All this happened in less than three seconds and needless to say Luke noticed her face and her mouth and that her eyes were getting darker with passion. He felt himself getting out of breath and suddenly felt very hot at the sight of her. She was beautiful and very sensuous. Why did he never feel that before? Well of course he noticed that Lorelai was very pretty, but he was never turned on by her. It was always "Just Lorelai" her good friend Lorelai Gilmore.

Somehow he knew that Lorelai wanted to kiss him. She just looked it. It wasn't hard to guess. He'd seen women in lust before. He couldn't do that – there was Nicole. His Nicole. The woman he loved, at least he always thought he loved her. With his reaction to Lorelai just this moment he wasn't so sure anymore. How could you react to someone that drastically when you are actually in love and lust with someone else. This just didn't add up. He took one step backwards and raised one hand as if to say "Stop – Don't come any closer".

Lorelai shook out of her trance she was in. She sighed. Did I just nearly attempt to kiss my best friend? Yes, you did honey, her inner voice answered. I really am out my frigging mind, she thought. Wasn't it enough that you told him, no now you try to scare him away with this public display of you being absolutely hot for him. And more so you acted as if you really needed it bad. Lorelai was definitely never in her life that disgusted with herself.

She sighed again and let her head fall down. Then raised it again and looked him in the eyes.

"Luke I am so sorry – for everything! Please lets just forget it ever happened. I want to get back to normal, and I desperately need a coffee, yes?" she asked meekly.

Luke smiled at her, then came closer again and put his arm around her shoulders to hold her close. He squeezed her tightly to reassure her and then said.

"That's what I wanted to hear – that's my Lorelai. Come on I get you your elixir of life and something to eat. Everything will be alright. We'll manage. You'll see. Now lets go back to the diner. I promised I bring you with me!"

"To Rory?"

"Yeah. She was very worried. Are you okay now, or at least better than before?"

"Like you said. I'll manage!" Lorelai forced a smile.

Luke squeezed her again then let her go and they slowly walked back to the diner. Neither of them spoke. Both of them deep in thoughts. And both of them thinking of the other one.

° to be continued °