A/N: I AM SO SORRY! Everyone really loved the chapter that was formerly known as eight, but I had an epiphany, and I had to take this in a new direction. So, to everyone's disappointment, I deleted that chapter. Forget it ever happened! I know that will be difficult, but just try to imagine all this WITH the sexual tension.

I'll try and work the chapter formerly known as eight in later in the story, or maybe I'll write an alternate. There was nowhere I could've gone with that, so I had to change it… for the greater good. I promise this will be better.

A/N2: No slam-bam-thank you ma'am in this one, but it will be soon, probably in the next chapter. Again, don't hold me to it… I'll do the best I can.

Chapter Eight

Lorelai found her tent, slightly secluded, tucked behind a large oak tree. The "#10" taped on the side was barely visible, but Lorelai hoped that no one else would be seeking it out.
Stepping inside the dark green tent, Lorelai set down her bags and took a look around. It was larger than it looked from the outside. Two people could have slept comfortably, with at least two feet of space between each other, in any direction. The "ceiling" of the tent was fashioned after a steeple, in that it pointed from four directions. Where the back "wall" attached to the "ceiling", there was a mesh opening through which the sky was visible. Lorelai placed her pillow directly beneath the "window" and laid her sleeping bag out in similar fashion. A small stool stood in the corner, and she placed a small battery-powered alarm clock and her cell phone next to the candle lantern already there. She then dropped her bag in the corner and lay down on her fluffy blue sleeping bag. Looking out her little window, Lorelai began to get drowsy and soon fell asleep.

"Yeah, so just close up at about nine thirty or so, and make sure the back door is locked because last time Kirk got in and locked himself in the storeroom with his pillow," he cringed, "naked." Caesar nodded and took the keys from his boss. Luke picked up his duffel, slung it over his shoulder and tucked his tent under his arm before heading out.

Luke wandered around the campsite, looking for a clearing to set up his tent. So far all the good spots he'd come across had been littered with tents adorned with numbers, which he assumed were assignments. Of course, he hadn't signed up for a tent assignment – he'd be damned if it actually looked as though he was participating in this joke – so he'd brought his own tent.
Luke didn't know why he'd decided to come to this thing. Well, he knew it had something to do with the tight knot in his throat and the thundering in his chest, but he was trying very hard to focus on something other than his feelings for Lorelai. Lately, it had become almost too hard to be around her. Her scent, her laugh, her bright and shining eyes, it all surrounded him until he didn't know which was up. He spotted a somewhat clear, yet secluded area behind a large oak tree. He set down his bag a few feet away from a thick tree and looked around. The only other tent nearby was about 40 paces away and had a large "#10" taped on the side.

Unless Lorelai's in that tent, there shouldn't be any problems, he thought as he set up his own tent.

Soon after the sun had hesitantly set beneath the horizon, the firelight could be seen gleaming through the trees and Lorelai sighed. It was so romantic. The stars, the forest, the fire, the food…

Oh the babies to be conceived this evening… she thought with a chuckle. The setting truly was perfect. The very air was practically filled with love and affection. Even being alone on this wonderful night, Lorelai felt as though she were filled with helium.

The dull thump thump of her boots mingled with the crunching sound of the dry dead leaves beneath her feet. Approaching the edge of the clearing, Lorelai tugged on the hem of her tight black shirt. She hadn't realized how cold it would be after the sun went down and now was wishing she'd brought a sweater in her duffel. Her faded jeans were tucked into the tops of her brand new worker's boots and her black short sleeve top hugged her snuggly around her chest and waist. It was just the slightest bit too short, resulting in the exposure of a sliver of flawless skin across her midriff. Her curly hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and small silver studs sparkled from her ears. They, however, did not hold a candle to the sparkle in her eyes when she noticed Luke lingering on the opposite side of the clearing. She sauntered in his direction, suddenly forgetting the cold.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her laughter in her voice as well as in her eyes. "I thought you hated camping." She raised her eyebrows suspiciously as she approached him.

When Luke had seen her from across the clearing, his heart had jumped into his throat and his blood pressure had risen significantly. He couldn't move his feet, but seeing as how she was headed in his direction anyway, staying put gave him a glow of nonchalance. She sidled up next to him.
"I just couldn't resist the chance of seeing you out of your element." He managed to sound cool and collected although the blood was rushing to his head.
"Luke Danes, are you mocking me?" Lorelai gasped, slapping a hand to her chest and glaring at him dramatically.

He simply smiled and shook his head. When he saw her wrap her arms around herself, rubbing vigorously, in an obvious attempt to warm herself, he started to shrug out of his jacket.

"What are you doing?" she questioned when he held it out to her. The flannel looked so warm and inviting, and it probably smelled like him too, which was always a perk.

"You're cold. Put it on."

"No, on the contrary, I'm fine." She dropped her arms immediately and stood her ground. But when goosebumps appeared on her skin and the little hairs on her arms stood straight up, she sighed in defeat.

Luke rounded her so that her back was to him and slipped the flannel over her shoulders. Her shoulders slumped under the weight of the warm jacket, and when she slipped her arms into the sleeves, her fingers were nowhere to be seen. He let his hands linger on her shoulders a few seconds longer than necessary before he stepped away.

"Well, what about you?" she asked, genuinely touched by his concern. "Aren't you going to get cold?"

When Luke pushed up one sleeve to reveal a second long sleeve shirt beneath the blue one he was wearing, she simply nodded her head.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He gestured towards the table that held food and beverages and they began to walk. When Lorelai stumbled on a tree root, Luke's hands instinctively reached out and caught her around the waist.
Oh god. Lorelai thought as Luke peered into her eyes.

"You okay?" he asked, hands still on her waist.

More than you know, buddy. But she nodded her head and continued walking, relishing in the feeling of Luke's hand on her back as they walked side by side.

Kirk scurried between trees, his pillow clutched to his stomach. He'd fallen asleep again, and was convinced that the Nazis were after him this time. Passing a piece of his own clothing – his pants were hanging from a nearby tree – he realized that he'd been going in circles.

"I swear Granny Ann was only half Jewish! I swear it!" He screamed and started to run. With the Nazis on his ass, he bolted between trees and hopped over logs, heading in the path of least resistance. It wasn't until he dove into a random tent and hid in the corner that he began to relax. Then within seconds, his body slumped over and he was sound asleep.

"So I says to her, 'No, Rory, lighting it on fire is half the fun!'" Lorelai doubled over in a fit of giggles that were frequently interrupted by loud hiccups. Sookie laughed and Luke even smiled at Lorelai. It was always entertaining to see her drunk.

After sitting around the ten foot wide bonfire for twenty minutes, listening to Taylor's retelling of The Stars Hollow Lovers, Lorelai, clutching Luke's arm, had suggested that some of the older folks go make a fire of their own a little father off. Sookie, Davey and Jackson had taken up on the offer and were soon followed by Miss Patty, Babette and Morey, Gypsy, Andrew, and a few of the other respectable citizens of Stars Hollow.

The group of about fifteen found a spot far enough away, and the true festivities had begun. The men of the group had gone to retrieve benches, large rocks, and logs so that people wouldn't have to sit on the ground and Gypsy had managed to construct a small bonfire in the center of the group. A flask filled with some kind of revolting alcohol had been pulled out of one of Miss Patty's many pockets and Lorelai had been one of the first to take a large gulp. The flask had been renamed "The Fun Flask" and had mostly been in Lorelai's corner throughout the evening. It wasn't long until everyone was laughing and telling stories in a slightly buzzed state. The events of Rory's accident were rehashed, but in the firelight, everything seemed a little less traumatizing.
Luke sat, watching everything, responding occasionally and laughing more than he probably had his entire life. He was happy, he realized. This was exactly where he wanted to be; surrounded by friends, sitting beside Lorelai and listening to her crazy stream of conscious rambling.

"Well at least you didn't fling the flamin' thing onto her lap, suga!" Babette squealed. She nudged Morey and he nodded solemnly. "I have the scars," he said. This resulted in howls of laughter and hoots of shock throughout the group.

"Okay, okay, I've got a good joke!" Lorelai rambled, flinging her hands into the air as she stood. The group hushed, though a few people were still slightly shaking with laughter.

"Okay, okay. Why did Hitler…" she paused for horribly placed dramatic effect, "call his soldiers Nazis?" Barely containing her own laughter, she waited, looking around at the faces of the group.

"Because they were NOT-ZEE JEWS!" She laughed hysterically and was soon joined by the others in the group. "Get it? Nazi? Like, not thee jews? Ha!" She doubled over once again, and nearly lost her balance, but thankfully, Luke had reached out and steadied her on her way down. She was still laughing when she slumped down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"This is fun," she said, sighing and wrapping one arm behind him.

"Yeah, I'm glad I came," Luke turned his head and peered at Lorelai. The feeling of her head resting on his shoulder was comforting, and he was surprised that it felt so natural and that he wasn't panicking. He wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Me too," she replied, lifting her chin to rest on his shoulder. She caught his eyes with hers and she hugged him a little tighter. Maybe it was the firelight, or the lingering feeling of inhibition caused by her consumption of alcohol, but either way, she felt good. It felt natural to be held in Luke's arms and she was surprised that she wasn't panicking.

A few minutes later, Luke looked down to see that Lorelai's eyelids were fluttering closed and that her grip around him was becoming looser and looser.

"I think we oughta call it a night," he said to Sookie, gesturing towards the near sleeping Lorelai, "I'll take her to her tent. What number is she in?"

"She's in #10, behind this really big oak tree," Sookie said in a hushed tone—she was carrying little Davey in her arms and he had just fallen into a deep sleep. Somewhere in the back of Luke's head, the number 10 meant something, but he ignored it as he lifted Lorelai from the log she was perched on, and adjusted her so that she was leaning against him as they stood.

"Armff…" she mumbled incoherently. "Where… goin'?" She could feel her feet moving beneath her, but she really had no idea what was going on. The warm feeling of alcohol was leaving her system and exhaustion had set in… deep.

"I'm taking you back to your tent," Luke said, attempting to get Lorelai to walk. Her feet kept stumbling, and she would swerve towards sideways every time she lost her footing. Finally, with a frustrated sigh, Luke stopped. "Going up," he said as he swept his left arm underneath her legs, his right arm still around her shoulders. She barely even blinked; instead she cuddled up against him as he carried her like a little child.

The very second Luke swept her up, her heart had leapt into her throat. Cuddling up into his chest felt so good, and she could've fallen asleep easily had she not been so alert of the feel of Luke's strong arms around her tight. Every nerve seemed on edge as he carried her through the woods.
The walk wasn't too far. About ten minutes of carrying Lorelai through the trees brought him to her tent. In the very near distance, he could see his own tent. He ducked low to slip beneath the tent flap and he set Lorelai down on her sleeping bag with very little difficulty.

When her head hit the pillow, she adjusted slightly and opened her eyes to look at him. His face betrayed the affection he felt for her, the lines and the stubble not hiding the concern in his eyes and the love in his heart.

"Thank you, Luke," she said, her voice shaking because of what she hoped he interpreted as exhaustion. But in reality, her voice was shaking because of the nearness of him. He reached up and brushed a dark curl out of her face, his hand lingers a few seconds longer.
"I'm gonna go," he said, pulling the covers up to her chin. "My tent is about forty that way," he poked his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing in the direction of his tent, "so come and get me if you need me."

"Okay," she smiled.

Luke bent down and placed a small kiss on her forehead. He didn't know what possessed him to do it, but she looked so beautiful and innocent just grinning up at him like that, and it only seemed right to kiss her on the forehead. She hadn't been expecting it, and her eyes had widened just the slightest bit.

"Goodnight, Lorelai."

"Goodnight, Luke."