A little change to "A Tale of Poes and Fire". Total Javajunkie of course! Because I wouldn't write anything else.

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wish I did. But don't.


Rating: T-for now. It is a little steamy but I figure they show this kind of stuff on network TV so T works just fine. It might, just might be upped to M later. That's only if you want me to get a little more "detail" oriented. Hehe…

Reason for writing this fic: Short haired, leather clad, sexy as can be Luke Danes.

Enjoy!

Rusty

After the Poe reading Lorelai found herself talking to Luke outside the diner. She was about to leave and go home to Rory when he stopped her.

"You want some coffee?"

She turned to him confused and amused by the situation.

"Luke Danes, are you offering to supply me a painful liquid death?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders and shuffled his feet shyly.

"Yeah, I just thought…I don't know that we could talk for awhile. Guardian to parent kind of thing."

Lorelai realized what he wanted. Advice about what he should do with Jess. Luke was trying his hardest to get this kid through life in one piece and he sure as hell couldn't do it alone.

"Coffee sounds perfect."

He led her into the darkened diner and began to make a fresh pot as she sat down at a table by the window. She watched outside as the two Poes continued to argue and witnessed one of them throwing the stuffed Raven straight at the other's head. She chuckled quietly at the sight as Kirk stepped in to prevent any more from happening between the Poes. However, he soon got a Raven upside the head as well.

She was so engrossed in the town entertainment that she didn't even hear Luke sit next to her.

"What's going on?" He asked.

His voice startled her and she grabbed her heart in attempt to slow it down.

"Jeeze, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry."

"We need to put a bell on your collar Lassie." She turned back to the window to see the Poes hugging and saying their apologies while Kirk continued to rub the newfound bump on his head.

"Looks like those two are getting along." Luke pointed at the Poes.

"Yeah, well, they have a lot in common. That helps."

Luke nodded.

"Here's your coffee." He slid the cup to her and she accepted it graciously. Taking a long audible sip, she moaned in pleasure.

"Perfect as usual."

They shared a brief smile before finding something else to look at. Avoiding the longing gaze.

"So, where's Nicole?" She asked looking around. Expecting her to pop out of a corner at any minute.

"She had to get back to New York tonight. She got a call from her clients and they wanted a meeting first thing in the morning."

"Are you mad?" She asked taking another sip and looking at him from above the rim.

"No. It's her job. The diner keeps me from staying there. The firm keeps her from staying here. That's life."

She saw a flash of disappointment in his eyes.

"Sounds like you wanted her to stay though. You must really like her." She set her mug down onto the table and leaned in on her elbows, awaiting his response.

"Yeah, I don't think it's going to work out though."

"Why?"

Luke shrugged and played with his hands.

"I just don't think we're right. She's very nice, and funny, and attractive, but I just feel like there's something missing. You know?"

Lorelai gave him an understanding look.

"Yeah, I know. That guy I went fishing with, Alex? He's very nice. And we get along just great but…I feel the same way. Something's just not there."

They looked down at the table and back into each other's eyes where they shared a long moment.

"Do you want to go upstairs and…I don't know, just talk for awhile?"

Lorelai nodded.

"Sure."

Luke led Lorelai through the curtain and up the flight of stairs to his apartment. When they walked inside Lorelai made her way to the couch, coffee mug in hand, and sat down on the far end. Luke joined her by sitting on the other side. A couch cushion separating them.

"Well, the old apartment hasn't changed much since I was last here." She looked around and looked at the picture of Luke's dad on the wall. She noticed how much he looked like him.

"Nah, nothing much to change."

Silence fell over the room for a few minutes as uncertainty and tension filled the air.

Lorelai tapped her foot.

Luke rubbed his hands together.

Luke broke the silence.

"I don't know what to do, Lorelai. I mean, do I walk him to class everyday? Do I check and make sure he's doing his homework? Do I beat him senselessly? What? What am I not doing?"

She realized he really was lost.

She scooted closer to him on the couch and took his hand.

"You can't do much except keep talking to him. Make him know that he has an obligation to go to school, and obligation to graduate, just let him know that he doesn't have a choice until that diploma is in his hands and he's returned that ugly looking robe."

Luke laughed and looked up at her. They smiled at one another for a few moments before their expressions became more serious. Each had a look of want and curiosity. They noticed eyes skimming over features, eyes focused on lips. And soon they were moving closer and closer, in slow motion, before their lips met in a soft, tender, and tentative kiss.

The kiss was short and when they both pulled away they each let out a heavy sigh.

They quickly went in for more.

The kiss became hungry, ravenous. They devoured each other. Teeth, tongue, hands, skin. Luke quickly removed Lorelai's leather jacket, hands skimming over her shoulders and arms before he pulled her into a full embrace. Lorelai followed his lead and began to pull his jacket off. Luke lowered his arms to free himself from the thick leather and when he succeeded he was rewarded by Lorelai's hands gliding over his chest and stomach. He moaned into the kiss as she lowered them down onto the couch and he felt her body press down upon his.

They became even more feverish as Lorelai broke away from the kiss to suck and nibble on his earlobe. Luke groaned in response and grasped her bottom as she did so. He felt the undeniable urge to feel her skin beneath his fingers. He reached for the hem of her shirt and waited for her response. When she lifted herself up so that she was straddling him, he took it as a yes. He pulled it up and over her head, tossing it on the floor. He took a second to look her over. She was sitting on him, clad in just a transparent, black lace bra. He brought a hand up to her collarbone and let it trace a line from her clavicles, between her breasts, across her stomach before landing on her hip. He brought the other hand to hold her hip as well and he pulled her two him. She smiled and leaned down to kiss him, letting her tongue meet his instantly.

As they continued to kiss, Luke maneuvered their bodies on the couch so she was lying on her back and he was above her. He kissed his way down from her lips, to her neck, to her collarbone, down to her breasts where he kissed the top of each, all the way to her belly button. Her moaning gave him courage and he began unbuttoning her pants. But as soon as he had begun to remove them he felt her jolt up to a sitting position.

"Rory!" Luke was perplexed by the sudden outburst, and calling of her daughter's name.

"What?"

"Rory…She's at home. She's waiting for me. I…I have to go."

She got up and grabbed her shirt quickly pulling it over her head.

"Lorelai…please…"

"I'm sorry. I should've been home a long time ago. She's probably worried. I don't have my cell on me…I have to get home."

She grabbed her leather coat, slipped it on, and pulled her hair away from the collar.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that she was gone. And Luke was very confused as to what had just taken place only a few minutes ago.

When she opened the front door a frantic Rory greeted her.

"Where were you? You said you'd be right home! I was freaked out. Who knows what kind of guys those Poes are. Any one willing to dress in a ridiculous costume and read stories about psycho paths and death couldn't be too stable."

Lorelai took off her jacket and hung it on the coat rack.

"Chill. I was just at Luke's. I wasn't being taken advantage by a Tell-Tale Heart. So Simmah Down a-now."

Lorelai made her way to the kitchen where she pulled a beer out of the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked sitting across from her silent mother.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You're drinking a beer, you seem a little out of it."

"I can't drink a beer without being okay?"

"No that's not what I meant. You just don't usually drink a beer by yourself unless you're upset." Rory explained giving her an uncertain look.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"So, something is the matter. Spill young lady. You have some splainin' to do."

Rory pointed a finger at her mother and awaited her response.

"Okay, but don't say anything to anyone. And don't interrupt me."

"Okay."

Lorelai took a deep breath and exhaled before she began.

"Jess, is skipping school. At least Luke thinks so. So, Luke is a little upset, and he asks me in for coffee. I can't refuse. Especially when he asks if I want coffee. Because seriously how often does that happen?"

"Almost never."

"I said don't interrupt me!"

"Well you asked me a question."

"It was rhetorical."

"I didn't know that."

"Well, assume for the purposes of this conversation that every question I ask you is rhetorical. Capish?"

"Capish."

"Okay, so where was I? Coffee, right. So, he makes me some coffee and we sit and talk, and whatever. Then he asks me if I want to go upstairs and talk. I say yes and we go to his apartment. We sit down on the couch and resume conversation and he seems really upset about the whole Jess situation. So, I grab his hand, because, it's the only thing I could think of to comfort him. I tell him that he just needs to talk. To communicate with Jess the importance of school…etc. Then, it was just like in a movie or something. He moved in and I moved in…and…"

"And…"

"We kissed."

"YOU WHAT?"

"We kissed. Made out actually."

"You made out with Luke?"

"Yes."

"Our Luke? Burger and Coffee Luke? The town's designated Luke?"

"Yes! Okay? Yes! I made out with Luke and enjoyed the hell out of myself."

Rory shook her head and tried to wrap her brain around it.

"What about Alex? What about Nicole?"

"Things aren't going to work with Alex. I don't like him that much. I mean fishing for a second date? He might as well have taken me hunting for geese or pheasant or taught me how to shoot Bambi or something."

Rory agreed with her silently on that one.

"Okay, but what about Nicole? She was with Luke tonight at the reading."

"He told me there was something missing. That it wasn't what he wanted."

"Well, we all know what Luke wanted tonight."

"Hey!"

Rory held up her hands.

"What? I'm not the one who sucked face with the town diner owner tonight. That would be you missy."

"Thank god you didn't because that would be weird."

"And that's when we end this branch of the conversation. Road blocks have been established, please use another route to your destination."

"And our destination?"

"The end of this conversation and watching reruns of "Wings" while we eat enough Red Vines that we rot out our insides and have to ask relatives that we haven't ever met before to donate organs in order for us to live."

"Sounds great but let's make sure we have the mocking of early nineties clothing in there. Very important to the process my young grasshopper."

"Here, here."

Lorelai began to leave the room when she heard Rory's questioning voice.

"Hey…What's going to happen with you and Luke? Are you going to avoid him forever? Pretend it never happened? Date him? What are you going to do?"

"Sleep on it. Get back to me in the morning."

"Gotcha."

Rory found herself alone in the kitchen and smiling at the situation that had been created tonight.

"Come on kid. Tim Daly waits for no girl."

"Coming!"

With that she grabbed a can of soda from the fridge and bolted into the living room.

And in the middle of the night a tale of a fire reached the Gilmore home.

To be continued…

Hope you like where I'm going so far. I just watched this episode today and I was thinking how great Luke looked. Part of me was like…Hmm…I bet Lorelai would've liked a piece of that. I should have the next chapter posted tomorrow night after the finale.

As always I appreciate reviews.

Random Quote for all you TV junkies:

Lisa: They're not going to fire everyone. They'll probably just... hold us all to our contracts and change the format to Soft Rock of the Seventies until we get so sick of hearing "Afternoon Delight" that we kill ourselves and they hire new people to fill our positions.
Dave: That imagination of yours is an absolute curse.
Lisa: Yeah... my parents didn't let me watch television.

"NewsRadio"