A/N: Thanks to all my readers and the feedback for this piece. Without you, this would have just been a one parter. Also, special thanks to all my betas: CineFille, LulaBo, JeSouhaite.


Part 10

"Luke?" Lorelai rapped on the door to the diner, which was dark. She stood shivering on the step for a minute, then tried again, this time a little louder. She put her face to the glass and saw Luke making his way towards the door. The bells jingled above him as he opened the door, letting her inside wordlessly. "Luke, I'm sorry. I didn't--" Lorelai started, standing at the edge of the doorway; the room was still dark, she could barely make out Luke, standing in between the tables.

He spoke suddenly. "Did you come here to tell me you're getting back together? You're going to try things again?"

"Luke, no," she breathed, moving towards him. He backed up, hitting his leg on the table, which made a loud screech, breaking the tension and quiet for a second. "I told him to leave."

"I don't really want to talk about this anymore," Luke replied gruffly, moving away from her into the darkness.

"I do." Lorelai insisted. She wasn't going to just let him disappear, fade back into the parts they used to play, they were past that now. "I don't want this to be a casual fling. We fell into this, Luke, and yes it might not have been the smartest or easiest way but this is not about getting back at Max. This is about you and me." She pleaded with her voice, with her eyes, with the way her hands were clutched nervously in front of her. "I don't know what will happen but I'm willing to take that chance, Luke. You're scared, I know because I'm terrified. But I wouldn't be here if I didn't care about you. If I didn't care about what happens with us." Luke wouldn't even look at her and Lorelai heard her voice tremble as she tried to control her emotions. She was furious at Max for showing up, for making Luke act this way.

Luke simply nodded, not responding, his gaze fixed on the floor, not on her. Lorelai sank into a chair, her head in her hands. "You don't want this anymore, do you?" She asked, not looking up, her words falling to the floor.

At least if he couldn't see her face, he wouldn't have to look at the hurt and sadness that lingered in her eyes—the "why?" He didn't have an answer for that. And he did want this—them. But he didn't want this—Lorelai still torn, things falling apart before they had really begun. "No," he sighed. In that same breath, Lorelai stood and walked out of the diner, her steps shaky. Luke crossed his arms and clenched his jaw, debating whether to go after her. But he couldn't. At least, not yet. Lorelai had to figure things out. Luke would have never admitted he had envisioned being with Lorelai in the first place, but in his wildest dreams he had never imagined everything to unfold the way it had. He hated it. He wanted to be able to tell Lorelai how he felt and she do the same without something holding back. And if that meant waiting—six days or six more years—then he would. Because he knew (well he had always known) but he had confirmation that being with Lorelai was worth whatever wait.

Every time the door opened that morning, Luke looked up. He didn't really expect to see her of course, he had been so harsh on her the night before, but only because seeing Max standing in the doorway had hurt him so much. But she chose you, he reminded himself. He looked up as someone sat down at the counter: Max.

"I don't have to let you in here."

"I know you've never liked me--"

"Especially now," Luke interrupted.

"Especially now," Max continued, holding up a hand. "But I would appreciate it if you would hear me out." Luke folded his arms and waited. "I was brash and rude in my comments last night and I apologize."

Luke clenched his jaw, twisting a towel in his fist. "I don't think I'm the one you need to be telling this to."

"Lorelai wouldn't give me the time of day right now. Especially after some of the things I said after you left." Luke glared at him, but Max didn't expand on what he meant. He didn't dare. "I'm going to leave her alone. I think that's best for you and for me."

"I think so too."

Max got up to leave, but paused at the door. "Take care of her."

"I will." Luke nodded, watching Max head down the sidewalk.

When Lorelai woke up the next morning, for a moment, she was afraid it had all been a dream. She was back in her bed alone and maybe she hadn't kissed Luke, maybe Max hadn't showed up and ruined everything, maybe…she sighed, throwing the covers back, knowing it was still true. Careful not to wake Rory, she left the house for the diner like always, not exactly knowing what to expect when she got there. She was sure Luke wouldn't really want to see or talk to her, but after spending the last 24 hours in her own personalized form of hell, all she wanted right now was a cup of Luke's coffee.

Unfortunately, as she was rounding the square towards Luke's, who did she see heading her way except Max.

"Lorelai," he said slowly as she stopped in front of him. "I'm—Can we talk?"

"I guess." Lorelai huffed, walking towards a bench out of the sight line from the diner.

"I want to apologize. I understand if you don't want to hear it."

"That's for damn sure. Blaming me for adultery? You were not the same guy I fell in love with."

Max shrugged and looked sheepish. "I am sorry. They require all men to become jerks in California."

Lorelai lets her face soften. "Ahh, that explains it."

Max sits and Lorelai stays quiet beside him. "Were you ever really in love with me, Lorelai?"

Once upon a time, she thinks. "I--I don't know. Were you in love with me?"

"I asked first. But yes, I was." He glances down. "I thought I was."

Lorelai touches his arm. "I thought I was too." She turns her gaze out towards the town, not wanting to look at him so directly, but letting him know that what she is saying is important to her, to him. "I guess that wasn't good enough."

"You took almost a week to answer my proposal, maybe that was a sign." For a minute, she thinks he's being serious and she's stung briefly by his comment, but just as quickly, she sees the smirk playing across his lips and she almost laughs. Instead she just blushes and glances down.

"Ah, he believes in fate." Lorelai teases. "Fate, love, and poetry, they all go together."

"Things happen for a reason, yes."

"As will prove true with this, I'm sure."

"Do you think you and Luke will…" Max starts, unable to continue. Instead he swallows and brushes it off. "You don't have to answer that, Lorelai. That's personal."

"But I can be honest. We just started this. It's new and different, so it's still exciting." He's my best friend. It's easier to start out when he already knows how much I dread going to my parents' house on Fridays, how much I hate vegetables and how I could never listen to the Offspring if you paid me a million dollars.

Max nodded. "Goodbye, Lorelai Gilmore."

"Bye, Max." Lorelai watched him walk across the square towards his car and drive away. She sighed, lifting herself from the bench and turning towards Luke's. Just seeing the sign made her stomach do a little flip.

Luke wasn't anywhere to be seen when Lorelai came in and for a moment she thought of checking upstairs, but she figured that would make Luke even more irritated with her, so she just took a seat at a table by the window, her back to the counter. She was surprised when a couple minutes later, Luke sat down across from her.

"He told me to take care of you," he said softly.

"He did?" Lorelai bit her lip. "I'm sorry about last night."

Luke reached across the table and squeezed Lorelai's hand quickly. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry about all the things I said. I wanted to follow you home, but I didn't know if I should…"

Lorelai nodded, biting her lip. This was it, she thought. It was over. Things would be okay now.

"Lorelai?" Luke asked quietly, noticing the glint of tears in her eyes. "Let's get you upstairs." She didn't object, but followed him quietly up to his apartment. "Hey," he soothed her once they were upstairs, slipping his strong arms around her in a loose embrace. "What's wrong?"

Lorelai almost smiled at the soft tone of Luke's voice, it was the same one he had used so many months ago when she told him about her divorce. There he was again, her superhero. She swallowed, managing to choke out what she had been thinking about since their fight the night before. "Last night—I was just so afraid that we would never get a second chance. And I wanted one so badly."

"Oh God, Lorelai. I'm so sorry. I should have called. I shouldn't have--" Lorelai pulled him close, kissing him firmly, clinging to his shirt with her hands, trying to put her heart into his, for safe keeping, in case they lost it again.

She sank into his chest, sighing against him. "I'm so tired."

"I know," Luke nodded, understanding. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either. "Hey, why don't you stay? Skip work today. I'll bring you up some food."

"And coffee?" She asked hopefully.

He smirked at her. "Yeah, and coffee."

She chewed on her lip for a minute, thinking. "Alright, mister, you got yourself a deal." He kissed her quickly, heading back downstairs, but she caught his sleeve. "Only if you promise to stay up here for a couple hours. I want to talk to you."

"I can do that," he nodded, smiling. Lorelai blushed under his gaze, sinking back onto the bed. There he was again: her coffee guy, burger boy, and best friend—and her boyfriend? She liked the sound of that last one.

"Oh, I should call Rory," she sat up suddenly.

"You do that and I'll go get you coffee." She nodded, already dialing the phone. He glanced back at her from the doorway, his heart flipping in his chest at the sight of her sprawled across his bed, smiling into the phone. On his way downstairs, he caught the goofy smile he wore in the mirror, and shook his head at his reflection, still surprised at the effect she had on him. They had known each other for six years, but he felt like now they were truly starting.

fin