How You Picture Things

Authors Note: Okay, so I am starting a new fic. I have always wanted to do something where Luke and Lorelai are stuck somewhere together, and that is how this was born. I admit the premise could be considered a little hack but the idea wouldn't leave me so I figured why not. So I hope everyone will suspend their disbelief a little with me. This is a multipart story and the first chapter is kind of setting things up so chapter 2 will be a bit more meaty than this one. Since this is a brand new story reviews would be so unbelievably welcome and appreciated. It just helps me out so much even if it's a simple, "keep going" or "Stop writing immediately you are making me angry at words" okay the second one is not as appreciated but you see what I am saying. Okay, on with the show!

Spoilers: None.

Premise: Set after "Jews and Chinese Food" But before,"So Good Talk." The whole town wants Luke and Lorelai to get back together so they decide to do something about it.

Chapter 1 "MacGyver and the Mafia":

"It could all be so simple, but you'd rather make it hard. Loving you is like a battle and we both end up with scars." Ex Factor, Lauryn Hill

"Okay Sookie, I am here just like you asked. It's been a really long day and I still don't understand why I needed to come here!" Lorelai yelled as she walked into Miss Patty's dance studio. As she made her way further into the studio she noticed that the place seemed empty. Most noticeably it was missing her best friend who had convinced her that there was some kind of an emergency that they needed to discuss, and the only place to do it was at Miss Patty's. Lorelai didn't really understand what was going on or what the emergency was but this was Sookie and she could be a little bit scattered. Lorelai figured it probably had something to do with Jackson or food those were always safe bets. She was too tired to argue with Sookie, or ask more questions so she just came here and figured she would know soon enough.

"Sookie," Lorelai called out, "Sookie? Miss Patty? Anybody?"

Lorelai went into to Miss Patty's office to see if Sookie was there. At the very least she hoped to see Miss Patty because maybe she would have an idea as to why Sookie so desperately needed Lorelai to come and meet her here.

There was no sign of Miss Patty or Sookie when Lorelai reached the office. "This is really weird! Crazy pregnant lady!" Lorelai said to no one.

Lorelai was in the process of trying to find her cell phone in her purse to call Sookie when she remembered she had left the stupid thing on the charger.

"Stupid technology," She shouted.

She saw the phone on the desk and figured Miss Patty wouldn't mind her using the land line. As she was about to pick up the phone she heard the front door of the studio open and then close again.

Lorelai was walking out of the office while she spoke "There you are Sookie…" She started.

Lorelai then caught a glimpse of who had actually arrived. The first thing she noticed was Bert, Luke's red trusty toolbox. Immediately after that she noticed the flannel clad man who owned him.

"Luke…" Lorelai gasped.

"Lorelai…" Luke said just as shocked.

They were both so caught up at being in the same room without any warning or time to prepare that there minds went into overdrive. They both just stood there and took a second to really look at each other.

Lorelai immediately noticed how tired and worn out Luke looked. She didn't know if she should feel happy about that because maybe it meant he was having a hard time dealing with their break up as well. Or if she should feel sad because someone she cared about looked so worn out and she was partly to blame. This thought was followed by the idea that maybe he looks tired because of something else entirely and she was being completely self involved assuming it had to do with her. Lorelai couldn't decide which one it was. The only thing she did know for sure was that the longing feeling she had steadily felt since Luke had broke up with her had completely intensified in his presence. She had thought that she getting used to the feeling but with him so close to her, she could feel her heart twisting and breaking and her breathing become shallower. Lorelai felt like it was like her bodies way of making sure she remembered how completely in love she was with this man, and how completely miserable she was without him.

As Lorelai was taking in Luke's presence he was doing the same with her. It amazed him how beautiful she was. He had spent a large part of a month trying to forget her beauty and there it was staring him in the face. Yes, undeniably she was gorgeous but Luke also noted that she looked thinner and more breakable and that sparkle that always radiated from deep inside of her seemed some how muted. As Luke looked at her he felt like it physically hurt his heart to be so close and yet so far from her. He had long ago resigned himself to fact that he would never stop loving her. However, Luke began to realize that it was one thing to know that you would always love someone when it was just this thought in your head. It was just a thought and a twinge that you would get in the emptiness of your room at night. As opposed to what was happening now. This wasn't just a thought and a twinge this was him really truly feeling this intense love and need just at the mere sight of her.

They were so lost in thought that neither one of them heard the jingling of keys from the other side of the door. They also didn't notice that the silence between them had gone long past an acceptable amount of time.

"Um… Have you seen Sookie?" Lorelai said the first thing that came into her head when the spell was finally broken.

"Uh no can't say that I have," Luke said awkwardly. "Is Miss Patty here?"

"Not from what I can tell." Lorelai answered.

"Well, that's just great!" Luke angrily replied.

It had been a month since Luke and Lorelai had broken up and they hadn't seen each other since the night of Stars Hollow Elementary School production of Fiddler on the Roof. Luke had made a distinct effort to not leave the diner in an attempt to never run into Lorelai. Lorelai had secretly wished that she would run into Luke some how but now that it was happening she had no idea how to act.

"Sorry?" Lorelai said it like it was question. "Well, I should go find Sookie."

"Okay." Luke blankly responded.

"Nice to see you," Lorelai said sincerely as she walked passed Luke to the door.

"You too," Luke replied quickly.

Lorelai tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

"Um the door seems to be stuck." Lorelai declared.

"Let me try." Luke went over to the door as Lorelai stepped aside and pulled with all his might. "Yeah, this door is locked."

"That's weird, it wasn't locked a minute ago you and I both managed to get in. In fact I don't think Miss Patty's has ever been locked." Lorelai said confused.

As Lorelai spoke something by the door caught Luke's eyes he bent down to pick up the envelope on the ground.

"What's that?" Lorelai asked.

Luke noticed that envelope was addressed to him and Lorelai and his stomach immediately sunk. He opened the envelope and silently read the note inside.

"What the hell!" Luke said angrily as he crumpled up the note and threw it on the ground, "Looks like we are stuck here!"

"What?" Lorelai asked her confusion mounting. She bent down and picked up the crumpled piece of paper and read it out loud.

Dear Luke and Lorelai,

You two are miserable without each other and you clearly belong together. The whole town is tired of it, and the ribbons and we are taking action. We locked you in; you both know there is one way in and out of the studio so do not bother trying to escape. Don't be mad we want what is best for you both and that is each other. So just sit down and talk and fix this and we will be back to unlock the door in the morning. We left some supplies in the office, use them wisely. Remember love concurs all.

Love,

The Concerned Citizens of Stars Hollow

Ps. Sookie would like Lorelai to remember that it's not good form to kill a pregnant woman. She just wants what's best for you. She also made cookies for the two of you and so she feels that has to count for something.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Lorelai exclaimed as she finished the note. "I can not believe this!"

"Yeah, I am having a hard time with it myself." Luke said through gritted teeth.

Luke's cold attitude made Lorelai rethink all the fantasies she had about running into him. Suddenly the room seemed very small and Luke's presence seemed very large and all Lorelai wanted to do was get the hell out of this situation.

"Is there really no other way out of here?" Lorelai asked.

"Not that I can think of." Luke said in a strained tone.

"What if we kick it, or use our body weight and run into it like in the movies?" Lorelai inquired.

"Seriously Lorelai, the lock is probably reinforced steal, I know you have a Wonder Woman thing going on but I don't think it's going to work." Luke returned.

"What about Bert?" Lorelai asked ignoring the Wonder Woman comment.

"What?" Luke questioned as Lorelai pointed down at the red tool box on the floor.

"Oh" Luke said finally getting it. "Well, I guess I could try something but it's locked from the outside I don't know how much good it will do."

Luke opened up the tool box and began to fiddle with the door.

Twenty minutes and a lot of grumbling later Luke was no closer to getting the door open.

"This is pointless. It is not working." Luke sighed throwing his tools back in the box and slamming it closed.

"So you are just going to accept the fact that we are stuck in here? You would think having every episode of MacGyver on VHS you of all people would know how to get out of here." Lorelai ranted.

"Hey, is that not talking about it!" Luke sternly replied.

"Sorry." Suddenly a thought struck Lorelai and her tone changed as she continued, "Um Luke, I just want you to know I had nothing to do with this. I am going to kill Sookie pregnant or not! It is times like this I wish I was in the mafia. I could order a whacking it would all be done very professionally. Leave the gun; take the cannoli and all that."

"Okay." Luke responded in a tone that Lorelai couldn't decipher.

"I am serious. I know that I pushed you, and I screwed up, and acted crazy. I know all of these things so believe me this is the last thing I would do. I said that I respected the fact that you were out and I do..." Lorelai seriously replied.

"I don't think you were involved." Luke cut off anything else Lorelai was going to say. "Listen, I have lived in this town my whole life. I know the citizens of this crazy ass town pretty well and this reeks of townie meddling. Hell, they probably had a secret town meeting with charts and pie graphs mapping out our failed relationship."

Lorelai knew Luke was just telling the truth but hearing him say 'failed relationship' stung her and her already bruised heart. Lorelai took a breath to hide the tears threatening to form in her eyes. With every bit of concentration she could muster she focused on making her tone even as she spoke. "You are probably right. I guess they mean well, right?"

"I suppose, it's like a town full of people who don't understand the concept of boundaries and privacy." Luke answered.

"So how did this town without boundaries trick you into coming here?" Lorelai wondered.

"Miss Patty told me she had a loose floorboard and that she couldn't get anyone to come fix it until Thursday. Lets just say when she started threatening me with having bruised and bloodied baby ballerinas on my conscience, I gave in."

Lorelai laughed a small but for the first time in week's genuine laugh. "Miss Patty does have a way with words at times. I wonder if she was the author of the note."

"Yep," Luke said shortly. His one word answer affectively stopped the ease that their conversation was beginning to have.

His short answer and the immediate silence that followed suddenly reminded Lorelai that this wasn't her boyfriend Luke she was talking to. This wasn't even old friend Luke who kept her in coffee and Danishes. This was a Luke who she didn't get to have easy conversation and banter with. This was Luke the guy she lied to and hurt, and who had hurt her so much. This was the Luke who broke up with her because it and was 'too much'.

The realization saddened her and a heavy sigh escaped her lips.

Luke didn't know what Lorelai was sighing about but he could guess that it was about him. He knew cutting off the conversation they had started was an asshole move on his part. However, he just didn't know how to be around her anymore. It was easy to slip into old patterns for a minute but then reality came and he would remember the fact that they were not together anymore. Luke started to think this was like his own little Dante's Inferno because the last thing Luke wanted was to sit and ruminate over the fact that he had lost Lorelai while he was in the same room with her. It was like he was an alcoholic who really wanted to forget that alcohol even existed but, instead of getting his wish that he could forget everything he was locked in an empty closet with a bottle of Jim Bean and no distractions.

Luke hated thinking so much, and he hated being a jerk. So he broke the silence. "Well, I don't think we are getting out of here without me taking a hatchet to the door. But if I did that then I know that some how later I would be roped into having to fix the hatcheted door and besides where would I find a hatchet..." Oh god, Luke thought, I am rambling, I am turning into Lorelai. "Anyway, I say we just wait this thing out. The note says they will come in the morning, and then we can order all those mafia hits you were talking about."

Lorelai laughed again relieved that Luke was once again speaking. "Sounds like a plan."