"Colleen..." Luke sighed. "I have to tell you something." Luke began to slightly tremble as Colleen lay there in his arms.

Colleen rose up and looked him in the face. "Then tell me." she smiled.

"Once..." he paused. "In fact not too long ago...I was engaged." he swallowed hard, waiting for the worst response. There was no response what so ever actually, so the only thing he knew to do was continue. "She was the most amazing person I had ever met. Beautiful, smart, funny... different." he sighed. "I fell in love with her the moment I first saw her. When I finally asked her to marry me, I thought I had found the one true love of my life." Luke stopped.

"But?" Colleen asked patiently.

"But, she ended up backing out of the wedding two days before. I didn't know what to do, how to react, so I packed up everything and moved here." Luke smiled. "When I first met you, I thought, there's no way I can be with someone else, but you've changed that. You've shown me things that Lorelai never did. I'm so happy I've met you. I want to be honest with you and hold no secrets."

"Why did she back out?" Colleen asked casually.

"She thought I killed a man on purpose." Luke reluctantly confessed.

Suddenly, Colleen felt unsure about some things. "Killed a man?" She asked timidly.

"It was such a mess. Basically, her husband who she thought was dead, came back and tried to hurt her and her daughter. I had to protect them" Luke flashed back to that night "I had knocked him out on the ground and the girls had went inside. I stood there, with my back turned away from him, suddenly he came at me with his knife and jumped on my back. I threw him off, and told him he needed to just give it up, that the cops were on their way. He wouldn't give up though, he launched at me again, and he stabbed me in the stomach. I didn't want to, but I grabbed my gun from my jacket and shot him." Luke let a single tear escape his watered eyes. "I'd never take a life on purpose. I did it for them. I was protecting them." Luke's voice broke.

Colleen reached out and grabbed his hand. "I believe you Luke." she smiled.

She believed him, that was so much more than what Lorelai had given him.

"Okay..." Rory smiled. "Ready." she walked out of her bedroom prepared to watch the 5 hours of movies, but Lorelai wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Mom?" she asked looking around the house. "Mom?" she called a bit louder. She walked into the kitchen where she saw Lorelai sitting at the table with her head in her hands, crying. "Mom?..." Rory asked, her voice scared and weak.

Lorelai looked up... "Miss Patty just called." Lorelai said her voice shaky.

Rory sat down, she knew whatever was about to come out of her mother's mouth would knock her off her feet if she didn't.

Lorelai took a deep breath "Sookie, and Jackson we're in a car crash this afternoon."

Rory's heart sank...

"They were both killed instantly." Lorelai let out a dramatic sob and covered her face again.

Rory's eyes began to tear up, she sat there in silence, not sure how to react. Lorelai's crying had become more audible and consistent now. Rory reached over and took Lorelai's hand.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, knowing that the pain Lorelai was feeling was unbearable.

Lorelai slowly stood up from the table and walked out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Rory asked, confused.

"I have to pack." Lorelai said frantically "I've got to be at the funeral."

Rory got up and followed her mother. "Are you leaving tonight?"

"As soon as I can."

"Mom... You're in no condition to drive." Rory resented. "You need to stay here tonight and calm down. We can both go tomorrow."

"Tomorrow isn't soon enough!" Lorelai replied beginning her way up the stairs.

Rory quickly followed her. "Mom, stop!"

Lorelai kept climbing the stairs refusing to adhere to her daughter. She reached the top of the stairs and collapsed onto the floor. Rory kneeled down beside her.

"Mommy, please..." Rory begged. "Please... Getting back to Star's Hollow as quickly as you can will not mean that Sookie and Jackson will be there."

Lorelai finally stopped and let her mind clear for a moment. She stared a Rory who was looking scared, and confused, and hurt all at the same time. Oh, how well Lorelai knew that combination of feelings. Lorelia's crying had finally subsided and had turned into a gentle pout.

"I can't believe it." Lorelai finally whispered. "It seems like I'm losing everyone I care about."

"Mom, don't say that." Rory replied. "Things are just rough right now."

"Rory... we changed, towns, hell we changed states, and look... it still caught up with us. You can't run from your problems." Lorelai said in a wise voice. "I of all people should have figured that out by now. Chris came back to us after 6 whole years. Nothing in my life is ever truly works out." Lorelai paused. "Except you." she added. "You've been the best thing that ever happened to me."

Rory smiled, and helped her mother up from off the floor. "Let's get some sleep." Rory suggested, "We'll leave for Stars Hollow early in the morning."

Lorelai and Rory walked into Lorelai's room. Lorelai laid down on her bed, and Rory laid down beside her. Rory knew her mom had been through hell and back and this time it was just too much for her to handle. Rory knew she had to be the strong one now, at least until her mom got it together again. Rory turned off the light and curled up under the covers beside her mother.