AN UPDATE! Oh my god!

Yeah, it's been awhile. I lied to all of you and said it would be sooner rather than later…It's much, much, later. SORRY, SORRY, SORRY! I have been busy…I've had tonsillitis all week…yuck. I just finished school a couple of weeks ago. I start again in two weeks. I've been working, and I've been trying to have a social life…not easy I'm telling you!

But anyway, enough about me, here is a new chapter for all of you Javajunkies. I hope it answers some of you questions from before. There will be at least one more after this. And then, I may be starting a new story. It might just be a one-shot. We'll see.

TO THE REVIEWERS:

Muffin- I just read your review for my other story….Wow; thank you…I'm touched. I didn't get a lot of reviews but yours made up for that. I'll take all the "gah's" you gave me and then some. I hope you had fun in Europe! And the knotted innards…kinda creeped me out but it was a good metaphor…I got what you were trying to say! I'll be waiting for your stories…Always love them!

Again thank you to everyone else who reviewed this story…Without your words of encouragement and constructive criticism this fic would be nada…

AND I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO MRS. SCOTT PATTERSON WHO I FEEL SO SORRY FOR KEEPING ON EDGE THIS LONG! THIS ONE IS FOR YOU GIRLY!

He stood on the front step of her apartment building staring at the list of tenant's names debating whether or not to ring her. As people walked in and out of the building and down the busy city street he continued to stare at the pearly white button and the name next to it.

Lahey, N.

Nicole. Sweet intelligent Nicole…How he was going to do this was beyond him. He had never cheated on a woman before, never. Except for that time when he kissed Julie Hellens when he was six after he had told Sarah McAdams he was in love with her on the same day. But that was different. He was an adult now, with adult responsibilities, and adult consequences. He just had to figure out what he was going to say to her.

Should he be completely honest? Or use ust a cliff notes version of honesty? An outline but not the entire story.

Eventually, after about half of an hour…Luke Danes pressed the little white button and found himself standing outside Nicole's apartment door, short of breath and extremely nervous. When she opened the door to let him in, he nearly passed out.

"So, Luke…This is a surprise. You never show up in the middle of the afternoon. What is going on?" Nicole asked taking a seat at the couch and motioning for him to sit next to her. He quietly refused and sat in a chair opposite of her.

"Nicole…" He began quietly, uncertainly…

Nicole's attitude shifted instantaneously.

"Would you like some Tea? I just went to the organic foods store. I bought a bunch of new flavors; I could make us some if you'd…." She quickly stood up and made her way toward the kitchen.

"No, Nicole…I really need to talk to you." He heard her sigh, her backside toward him, before she made her way to her previous position on the couch.

"Okay, listen…I know what you're here for. I'm not stupid or naïve, Luke. So, let's just forget about having the discussion and you can leave here with both of us unscathed. How does that sound? Because to me it sounds like a win/win situation."

He was astounded by her rationality, but he reasoned that it was Nicole, and she wasn't from Stars Hallow…He should have known she would be calm and cool about the entire situation.

"You don't want to hear why? You don't want explanations or reasons or…anything?" Luke raised his eyebrows as the corners of his mouth furrowed into his jaw.

"Nope. I like you, Luke. I really do. I don't want that to change. If that means not knowing why you don't want to be in a relationship with me anymore…I can deal." She reasoned tucking her hair behind her ears. Luke watched her astonished and unsure when finally Nicole stood up.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I was expecting some company. A few lawyers from the firm are coming over for dinner tonight and I'm not yet fully prepared."

Luke nodded and began heading for the door. He opened it and began walking out when he heard Nicole's voice beckon him back.

"Luke?"

He turned around and stepped into the room once more.

"Yeah?" He asked awaiting her response.

"I hope you're happy…"

Luke nodded. "Thank you."

He began to leave the apartment once more, and as he stepped out into the hallway he heard he voice again.

"Both of you."

With that, he walked out of the building and out of Nicole Lahey's life.

Lorelai was devastated but she wouldn't let Sookie or Michel truly see that. Her home was destroyed. Her inn, her life that she had begun, the place she had first called home, mere ashes. After hours of finding luggage and sending the Poe Society home as happy as possible she finally was on her way back to the house to tell Rory the bad news.

"Rory?" She yelled walking into the foyer and hanging up her sweater.

"In the kitchen!" Was her response.

Lorelai made her way there and found Rory reading a book and eating Cookie Crisp from the box.

"I love the wall." Rory said, referring to the Yale memorabilia that now covered her room.

"I thought you might." She answered taking a seat across from her at the table and putting her head down on her crossed arms. Rory's immediately peered at her dejected mother from above her book.

"It's bad, isn't it?" She inquired setting the book down and forward on her arms.

"It's bad…It's worse than bad…It's a Keanu Reeves doing Shakespeare kind of bad." She mumbled into her sleeves.

"It couldn't be that bad…Nothing is that bad." Rory reasoned rubbing her mother's back comfortingly. Lorelai lifted her head and regarded her daughter seriously.

"Honey, the place is charred. I don't know if it will ever be up and running again." She shook her head and sunk down on her arms once more.

"It's going to be alright, mom. It always turns out just fine. You know that." Rory cooed into her ear. She lifted her head once more and looked straight ahead.

"I still think someone mixed up the kids in the delivery room. You cannot be my daughter."

"I'm afraid I am. You're stuck with me. Besides, if we weren't related it would be really weird how we look so freakishly alike."

Lorelai nodded in agreement.

"Very true. And I'm sure if we weren't related we could make some really good money off of that fact."

Rory patted her mother's back and picked up her book once more.

"Perhaps. You just never know."

There was a brief moment of silence as Rory read and Lorelai thought.

"Mom?" Rory looked up from her book.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry about the inn."

Lorelai smiled and stood up kissing the top of Rory's head.

"Thanks baby. Keep reading your book. I'm going to go get us some dinner."

"Luke's?"

"Yep, I'll be back in a little while."

"Ok. Don't forget the pie." Rory reminded as Lorelai began her exit from the room.

"Sweets, after today, pie is the first thing on my mind. I'll be right back. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."

"I'll try to refrain."

With that Lorelai made her way to Luke's.

"LUKE! I need burgers and pie, pronto!" Lorelai yelled as she walked through the diner door. Luke stood at the counter and shook his head as she did so.

"I could see you coming a block away. I already put in the order." He replied wiping down the counter before moving to fetch her a cup of coffee.

"You're a god. Zeus himself." She stated taking a seat at the counter in front of him. He handed her the coffee mug and watched as she took a long satisfying gulp. She set the cup down soon after and looked up at him. Luke immediately noticed the sadness in her eyes and instantly inquired.

"What happened?" He leaned forward on his elbows and gave her his full attention.

"The inn…It's a mess. Completely ruined. It may never be up and running again."

He moved his hand over hers on the counter and stroked her knuckles with his fingertips.

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks…It's just…It's my first home, Luke. Rory and I grew up there. That's where we started our life. It has all these memories. We use to dance in the lobby late at night when nobody was around. I use to sing Bangle songs. We'd make up new dance moves. And I'd tell Rory that one day we'd tour with them and become millionaires just as their choreographers. And she'd tell me that she didn't want to be a choreographer but rather she wanted to write reviews and comments on their album covers. Or write stories about touring with the band. Some nights we'd take left over sheets and build forts in our shack and we'd make up stories about far off places, and the men we'd someday meet. More often than not if I had the late, late shift, Rory would insist on going with me because she hated sleeping on her own. So, I'd take her on my rounds and find her asleep under tables, one time I found her asleep on the kitchen floor. She was so small and I just…I just…"

Tears found their way down her cheeks and Luke swiftly made his way to the other side of the counted to scoop her up into a hug.

"I can't let go of something that was so important to me. It's so…"

"Hey, hey…It's okay…I know all about that. Look at my diner. I've kept it exactly how my dad left it. I couldn't imagine ever losing it. But you have those memories. You'll never forget them. So, don't' cry." There was a brief pause as Lorelai continued to softly cry into Luke's chest.

"Hey, I put extra cheese on your burger. And I gave you four pieces of apple pie. I even threw some ice cream in there."

Lorelai chucked from his flannel shirt.

"Thank you." She looked up at him and wiped away the tears and smudged mascara from her eyes.

"Anytime." He let her go and grabbed her order from the back. When he returned she was standing with her purse ready to go. Handing her the food she gave him a side hug and began to make her way out the door.

"I talked to Nicole."

Lorelai stopped, the bell jingled above the door as she held onto the knob.

"It's over."

She turned around and looked at him seriously.

"And are you…"

"It went as well as possible. And I mean that. She actually ended it with me. I didn't even get to say anything to her."

Lorelai gave Luke a stunned gaze.

"She knew. Without me telling her. Before I left she told me that she just wanted us to be happy. Why did everyone else know?"

Lorelai smiled and shook her head.

"It's Chinatown, Jake."

Luke smiled.

"That made no sense."

Lorelai shrugged.

"Eh, neither did the movie. Come by the house later, when you're closed. We can talk."

Luke nodded and smiled.

"I'll be there with bells on."

"I'll be waiting."

And as Lorelai left, Luke decided that tonight, closing early wouldn't be such a crime.

To Be Continued…

One Chapter left…I do believe. We'll see how it goes. I hope you all liked this one. Had a little resolve. A little drama. I wish it could've been a little more but hey, you can wish in one hand and crap in the other, see which on fills up first. Bada bum…Bet you can't guess where that quote is from…or maybe you can…I already used it in a fan fic…but I just had to say it again. It's from the same movie this quote is from.

"There's nothing to worry about. Kids swallow quarters all the time. If she craps out two dimes and a nickel, then you can't start worrying."

Oh, and the last quote was from "Liar, Liar"! You guys are so smart! You all get a cookie…and I make some dang good cookies!

Please Review! And thanks again for reading!