A/N: Here's the next chapter, thanks to those reading and reviewing. You guys rock!

Chapter 3: Laughing Gas and Phone Calls

Monday morning Lorelai strolled into the Dragonfly with a slight bounce in her step, humming to herself softly. Her first stop of the morning was the kitchen where she made her way leisurely over to the coffee pot, pouring herself a plentiful amount. Sookie had been standing over the stove when she walked in, so Lorelai hadn't seen her, but Sookie was now staring at her friend with an awed expression on her round face. She had never in her life seen Lorelai smile at seven o'clock in the morning, let alone smile widely and hum before she'd had any coffee. Lorelai sipped at her drink and turned around, seeing Sookie for the first time.

"Hey Sook!" she said cheerily. Sookie just stared at her with a strange look on her face. "Sampling the cooking sherry again?"

"What?" Sookie said suddenly. "No! No, I wasn't."

"Then what's with the look?"

"I was going to ask you the same question."

Lorelai cocked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Did anything, say, really good happen last night?"

Lorelai thought back over her night. She had gotten home from visiting Luke in Maine at around four and she had spent the rest of the night watching movies and daydreaming about him. She had called him just before bedtime and they had talked for a little over a half hour about his day and her drive back. It had put her in a very good mood and caused a night full of dreams about a certain diner man. "Hmm, nope nothing happened last night," she answered finally, unable to hold back the smile that was still creasing her face.

Sookie walked toward her then, until her hands clasped Lorelai's shoulders tightly. "Oh come on Lorelai, I know something's up! Is it Luke? Did you guys…you know?"

"Sookie!"

"Well, you look awfully happy for someone who didn't do anything last night." Lorelai just shrugged and didn't say anything. "Lorelai, come on!"

She laughed then, "Okay I did do something yesterday."

Sookie squealed shook Lorelai's shoulders, "Tell me everything! I want details missy."

"Well," she started, "I drove up to Maine to visit Luke on Saturday."

"Wow, you drove all the way there just to see him?"

"Well I was bored! And I needed some coffee okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Sookie said under her breath.

Lorelai shot her a playful glare. "Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Sorry, sorry! My lips are sealed!" Sookie zipped her lips with her fingers, smiling broadly.

"Okay, so I drove up to see him at the Renaissance Fair on Saturday and I stayed at his sisters house with him, then I came home yesterday afternoon." Lorelai paused and Sookie couldn't help but burst.

"That's not it right?"

"Sookie relax, I was just pausing a second to breathe."

"Right! Sorry, I'm just so giddy that you and Luke are finally seeing each other!"

Lorelai was beyond giddy as well, but she was trying not to look like a big sap as she told Sookie about her weekend. When she was done Sookie just stared at her for a moment, taking it all in. "So you guys slept in separate rooms?"

"Sookie! Why are you obsessing over mine and Luke's sleeping arrangements?"

"Because I have waited so long for you guys to get together, and I really want to know how everything works out," Sookie winked awkwardly.

"Don't worry, you will be the first person I run to!"

Michel came into the kitchen then, interrupting the girl talk moment. "Lorelai, I don't mean to take you from your hard work here in the kitchen, but Mike from the linen company is on the phone for you at the desk."

Lorelai rolled her eyes at Michel's sarcastic tone, "I'll be right there." Michel turned and left the kitchen, leaving Sookie and Lorelai alone again. Sookie was still grinning. "Will you stop it!" Lorelai said, swatting Sookie's shoulder playfully.

She covered her mouth lightly, "I just can't help it!" Sookie started waving Lorelai off, "Go talk to Mike, we'll finish this later."

"Bye Sookie."

The rest of the week continued much like that Monday, a light workload that lent itself quite nicely to Lorelai's habit of daydreaming. And at around noon on Thursday, that's exactly what she was doing while she manned the front desk, head leaning on her arm, waiting for Michel to get back from lunch. Halfway through her favorite fantasy (walking into Luke's Diner after closing, locking the door behind her, and letting Luke put her onto the counter to do naughty things that no one should do on the tabletop of a restaurant), a tall gruff looking man walked through the Dragonfly's front door. He tapped his foot loudly on the ground, dragging Lorelai out of her self induced la-la land and causing her to blush slightly. "Sorry," she said quickly, putting on a friendly smile. "What can I do for you?"

The man pulled at the flannel shirt he was wearing, making Lorelai think of Luke instantly, and of how much more attractive Luke was than this man standing in front of her. "I need one room please."

Lorelai punched at her keyboard, looking up vacant rooms. "Okay sir, would you like a room with one queen sized bed, or one with 2 twin sized beds?"

"One queen sized bed is fine."

"Okay," she paused for a second, clicking on the number of the only vacant room with one queen sized bed. When the stats for room number seven came up she stopped short though. The name of the last guest to sleep in that room was Luke Danes. It had been his lucky room on the night of the test run. Lorelai sighed to herself, missing him so much. Moving her mouse to the text window just above Luke's name, Lorelai turned back to the man standing in front of her. "Looks like room number seven is open. Could I have your name please?"

"Jason Reynolds."

Lorelai inwardly cringed at the name 'Jason', and almost had trouble typing it into the computer. Turning to grab the key off the rack behind her, Lorelai's thoughts returned to that night at the test run when Jason had crashed dinner, making Luke insanely jealous. She smiled to herself again, remembering what Sookie and Michel had told him, and then at the fabulous kiss she and Luke had shared on the porch. It made her stomach flutter at the thought, and she knew she had the dopiest look on her face as she handed over the key to room seven. "It's upstairs, fourth room on your right."

"Uh thanks," he said, looking at her strangely, taking his bag from the floor and heading up the steps.

Michel appeared from behind the corner a moment later, stopping short when he saw Lorelai's face. "Have you been sucking on laughing gas?"

"What?" she said, taken off guard by Michel's sudden presence.

"You look like you're high."

"Uh thanks Michel." Lorelai shot him a look, on the verge of a witty comeback when the phone rang. "You going to answer that Michel?"

"You're standing right there, why don't you answer it?"

"Because I'm high Michel, and it's your job," Lorelai batted her eyelashes mockingly.

Michel growled to himself and yanked the phone off of its cradle. "Dragonfly Inn this is Michel speaking, how may I help you?" he spoke harshly. "Oh you want to speak with Lorelai?" he asked the person on the other line, "Well I'm very sorry but she is having some reality issues at the moment and will have to call you back." He smiled widely in Lorelai's direction as she quickly grabbed the phone out of his hand.

She covered the receiver with her hand, waving the phone in Michel's face, "Who's this on the phone that you just told that to!"

"Relax, I think it is your greasy diner man. He probably already knows that you have problems with your grasp on reality, so I wouldn't worry."

Lorelai squinted a threatening look Michel's way and lifted the phone to her ear. "Hey Luke," she said sweetly, eagerly anticipating the first sounds of his voice over the line.

"Hey, what was that weird French guy talking about?"

"He was just projecting." Lorelai took the phone and went into her office, shutting the door behind her and leaning her back against it. "So how are you?"

"Eh, you know, really tired of the word 'huzzah'."

"How could you get tired of the word 'huzzah'? Cause you know, what other word could express such delight?"

"I don't need a word to shout every time something good happens."

"Not even something really, really good?" Lorelai smiled to herself, trying to imagine what expression he was wearing at that moment.

"Well, if I ever have a moment where I feel the need to shout 'huzzah' you'll be the first to know."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart and stick a needle in my eye, or however that goes."

Lorelai laughed, "Close enough. So how's the booth going? Any fair girls wanting to get any 'special services' from you?"

"Well actually…"

"Luke! Don't make me come up there and check on you!"

"And why exactly would that be a bad thing?"

"Hmm, can't think of a reason." Lorelai was smiling again. "So when are you coming home again, I'm lonely here all by myself."

"It's looking like I won't be back until at least Monday or Tuesday."

"Monday or Tuesday? Luke I thought you said you would only be there a week! A week is over on Saturday!"

"I know, but TJ is really milking it and Liz is coming along a little bit slower than the doctors thought."

"Oh alright then."

Luke smiled on his end of the phone, pleased that she missed him as much as he missed her. "Hey, I have to go, a customer needs help here. I'll call you later okay?"

"Okay. Bye Luke."

"See you soon."

The line went dead as Lorelai clicked off her phone, opening her office door to put the phone back at the desk. As she was setting it down though, she couldn't help but think about how much she wanted to hear Luke's voice again. Glancing at the clock, Lorelai did some quick calculations and then made a beeline for the kitchen. "Sookie!" she yelled as she pushed the door open quickly.

Sookie popped out from behind the center island, "Is everything okay honey?"

"I'm leaving early and taking Friday off okay?"

"Okay, can I ask where you're going?"

Lorelai turned and started to walk out of the kitchen, "I'm going to Maine!" she yelled over her shoulder. Sookie squealed slightly behind her, but Lorelai kept walking until she got to her jeep, hopping inside and inserting her key simultaneously. She made quick work getting to her house and putting some clothes in the same bag she had used the previous Saturday, and getting back onto the highway preparing for the long drive. She knew she was being silly, but she had to see him, there would be no waiting until Monday or Tuesday.

The sound of his voice made it's way around her head as she drove, foot pressed as hard as possible on the gas peddle, and fingers drumming on the steering wheel. Huzzah was the word she heard most clearly.