Disclaimer: Amy owns everything but my season one, two, and three DVDs.

A/N: This is not AU, but its alternate-everything else that happens in the show. This takes place beginning of season three. Lorelai knows that Sherry is pregnant, but Chris never came to dinner like in "Haunted Leg"

P.S. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a Chris fan.

P.P.S Thanks for all the amazing reviews and your incredible patience. This story has not been coming easy, and the craziness of finals has made it hard to find time. Now there over, so hopefully I can get this sucker done ASAP!

P.P.P.S Thanks to all who pointed out the error in the Spelling of Lorelai's name. I had no idea Microsoft Word automatically changes the "a" to an "e". apparently Bill Gates isn't friends with ASP. Or he's just a jerk…

Previously: She had called him, even thought they hadn't spoke in weeks, clearly she needed him. Who was he to let her down now, when that bastard could really hurt her? The last thing he heard was Lorelai's cry of protest before he slammed down the receiver.

"Caesar, I'll be right back!" he yelled to the cook in the kitchen.

"Ok, boss!" Caesar yelled in response, but the bells had already rung, and Luke was halfway down the street…

Butch Danes had not been a track star in high school for nothing. He reached Lorelai's house in less than five minutes. When he reached her driveway he saw an unfamiliar motorcycle in the driveway. Christopher's, he thought. Looking up at the house, the sight he saw through the front window made him almost physically ill. The bastard had Lorelai up against the living room wall and was trying to kiss her and grope her with his right hand, made easier by the fact that he was pinning Lorelai's hands over her head with his left. Watching one of his best friends (not to mention the most beautiful woman he had ever known) be attacked like this brought out a side of Luke that few had ever seen. He hadn't felt rage like this in a very long time. His raw emotions took over and he ran up the steps to the front door and entered the house, slamming the door.

"What the…" The noise startled Chris and he dropped Lorelai's hands and removed his hand from under her shirt, whirling around. But no sooner has he completed his 180, than his face came in contact with Luke fist. The force of the blow knocked him down and he fell to the ground hitting his head on the coffee table. The combination of the two hits knocked him unconscious, and he lay motionless on the floor.

Staring down at the scumbag on the floor, the look of rage in Luke's eyes began to change. Realizing what he had done, he wondered if maybe he had made a mistake. What if he had misunderstood the conversation on the telephone? How would he explain this, knocking out the companion of a woman whom he hadn't had contact with in months? Fear evident on his face, he raised his indigo eyes to meet Lorelai's bright blue ones.

But he didn't see anger in her eyes; he didn't see disappointment or even disbelief. All he could see was amazement and thankfulness, both of which were covering thinly veiled fear. That was all he could decipher before she fell into his arms, into an embrace so tight, he thought they would crush each other.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, still holding her close, trying to ignore the smell of her hair.

Lorelai couldn't answer, she just started to shake in his arms. The tears were coming freely now; she was powerless to stop them, as much as she hated to cry in front of people, there was nothing she could do. They were caused by two things, one of them being the overwhelming flood of emotions that came with what had happened to her tonight. Christopher attacked me, she thought between sobs. The first man I ever gave my heart to…but she choked off those thoughts, not ready to deal with the entire situation just yet. But that wasn't the only reason she cried. She cried because of…Luke, she thought. I haven't seen him in weeks, he's supposed to hate me, and yet…I call and he's here for me, no questions, except to ask if I'm okay.

Luke realized that Lorelai wasn't ready to talk just yet. "Come on, let's get you up to bed," he said, starting to pull away from her embrace.

She stepped back as they pulled apart and wiped her face with the back of her hand, the wall was starting to go up. "Luke, wait…"

"What?"

She pointed down at Christopher, who was still lying on the floor, breathing mind you, but still out like a light. 'We need to do something about…him"

He took a deep breath, recalling the damage he had done in his maniacal state. "What do you want me to do with him?"

She sighed, rubbing her head. "I don't have a clue. We can't send him home, he's passed out and way too drunk to drive anyway." Luke eyebrows rose slightly at her last comment, as he still hadn't any real idea what had transpired tonight before his entrance. "But," she sighed, her voice shaking slightly, "I really don't want him near me."

Luke nodded at her, concern evident in his eyes. "What about Rory's room? She's still in Washington, right?"

Lorelai nodded slightly, brow furrowed. "I can lock the door from the outside."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I don't think you have to worry about him waking up anytime soon, though."

"I know, but I just…"

He hadn't meant to say it like that, disregarding what this asshole had done to her. So he looked deep in her eyes to prove it. "I know. I understand." And she knew that he did.

Lorelai tore herself away from his understanding gaze to go and get her keys, while Luke half-heartedly dragged Christopher to Rory's bedroom, not taking much care around doorways and walls. He tossed his now snoring body onto the bed, making sure he was on his side-he is Rory's dad, after all- before shutting the door as he left. Lorelai turned the lock, and jiggled the handle just to be sure, before turning around to face Luke.

She heaved a big sigh, and Luke could see the fatigue in her eyes when she looked up at him.

"You should get some sleep," he offered, trying to stimulate what had become an awkward situation.

She nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah you're right. Goodnight Luke." But as she started to turn away and walk out to the living room and up the stairs, he saw the tears start to form in her eyes. It took him a few moments to process what was happening, but he was after her in no time at all. He caught up to her on the stairs and grabbed her wrist, causing her to whirl around.

"Lorelai, what the hell are you doing?"

She tried to ignore the tears in her eyes, tried to put on a brave face. "I'm going to bed, like you said. I am awfully tired. You must be too." She was babbling. "You should go to bed too, get some sleep, it is getting kind of late…"

But he cut her off. "Dammit Lorelai, don't do this!"

She tried to play innocent and failed miserably, her voice shaking. "Do what?"

He was mad now. "Put up this wall, pretend like nothing happened! You can't just ignore what went on here tonight, Lorelai, you can't just shake it off like it was nothing!" Luke was in rant mode. "God, Lorelai, you always do this! Every time you get hurt, you just go on like nothing ever happened! You never open up to anyone, not even Rory! Why the hell is that?"

"Because I can't do it, Luke!" She retaliated, voice slightly raised in anger. " I can't face it!"

"Why not?"

"Because I can't Luke, you don't understand," her voice trailed off as the tears finally came. "I have to be strong."

Luke softened his voice; the last thing he wanted to do was bring her pain. "You don't always have to be so strong, Lorelai."

She nodded through the tears, which were coming more rapidly now. "Oh yes I do," she replied.

He shook his head, lifting her chin so their eyes met. "No, you don't."

And she fell into his arms for the second time that night, crying harder than ever. He whispered words of comfort to her as he slowly lifted her up and carried her up the remaining flights of stairs to her bedroom. He laid her down on her bed, but she refused to let go of his neck, pulling him closer and whispering in his ear.

"Luke, will you stay here tonight? I don't want to be alone with him," she practically begged, shuddering at the thought of Christopher and how her perception of him had changed so much in such a short time.

He whispered back to her, taking a seat on the bed, bringing her back into his arms. "Of course I'll stay. I don't want you alone with him either. Ever."

She almost gasped aloud at his tone. It wasn't possessive, it wasn't jealous; it was just…out of genuine care for her well-being. Of course it is, she thought. It's Luke. And this thought hit her like a gut punch. She pulled back to look him in the eyes, this man who had come to her rescue, her knight in shining armor.

"Luke, why did you come tonight? I mean, we haven't spoken in weeks since…the accident."

Luke had moved over to the other side of the room and was starting to straighten up some blankets that were lying on the floor, a habit he had when he got nervous. "What do you mean? You called, you were in trouble. Who cares that we got in a fight what like, three weeks ago. What, I wasn't going to help you?"

Simple as that, she thought. I needed him, he came. Incredible. "No, of course not I just…" he looked up at her as she paused. His eyes on her had an amazing effect and her two last words came out in a voice that was no more than a whisper. "…Thank you."

He stared for what seemed to both of them like forever before he realized what he was doing and snapped out of it. "Well, it was no problem, you know. I mean the diner was practically empty and your house is like two feet away…"

"Luke…" she attempted to stop his rant with a soft voice.

"...Well maybe not two feet, that was an exaggeration…"

"Luke…" she said, voice growing in volume.

He finally snapped out of rant mode at the sharper tone of her voice. "Yeah?"

"You know what I meant, right?" the questioning look in her eyes was that of a child, unsure of herself, like she was answering a question in class and didn't want to look stupid.

But he understood completely. "Yeah. I got it."

The full force of her thanks hit both of them like a ton of bricks and caused their eyes to lock once again. It was him who snapped out of it first again, and embarrassed, he turned for the door.

"Luke, where are you going?" I thought he was going to stay. Is he not staying?

"Oh, I thought I would sleep on the couch. You know, I can keep an eye on Rory's room from there."

God, he thinks of everything. But that's not where I want him. I mean, I just don't want to be alone up here…right? "Oh yeah. That's fine."

"Ok, I guess I'll see you in the morning. I'll uh, get rid of him in the morning, so you don't have to see him. And I'll make you breakfast," he assured her.

"Um, yeah…" she swallowed. "Sounds good. Thanks again."

He looked straight at her this time. "It was nothing."

Had she any feeling left from his paralyzing stare, she would have said something back. But before she could collect herself, he was out the door and down the stairs. Lorelai flopped down against her pillow, millions of thoughts swimming in her pretty little head. Meanwhile Luke was making himself comfortable on the couch, one eye on Rory's door, half-exhausted and half-fighting the urge to run into the room and pummel the bastard who had almost hurt…her.

Yep, no one was going to get much sleep tonight. Except maybe Chris.