Disclaimer: I do not hold claim to the Gilmore Girls.

AN: This is my first attempt at Gilmore Girls fanfiction. Please review at let me know what you think. I accept all sorts of critcism very well. Thanks.

Chapter One: Lately It Feels Like You Can't Take Anymore

Rory sat in her newly remodeled pool-house attempting to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, waiting for seven o'clock to come when she would be "asked" through the intercom if she would like to come to dinner. There would be no getting out of it, it was a required invitation and to say no would just lead to questions and eventually both her grandparents would come over to the pool-house just to check on her and make sure she ate something "respectable". Grabbing a burger was not considered respectable fare, nor was anything microwavable, ready-made, or coming from a box. Basically, unless she wanted to starve, she had to eat with her grandparents.

By the time Charlie found his golden ticket, Rory had reached her limit of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, took it out of the DVD player and put it in a box already overflowing with movies. This was her Lorelai box. Actually, there were 10 Lorelai boxes and more were being made everyday and that isn't counting the mental boxes that were too numerous to count shut away instead her head. Her mother didn't want anything to do with her and that was just fine. Every time she thought of her mother, Rory just got angry all over again.

'I didn't do anything wrong. I'm an adult and I have the right to make my own decisions about school and my life. She isn't paying for school and she didn't even go so she wouldn't understand. She has no right to be angry at me; she is the one that didn't tell me about getting engaged to Luke, she's shutting me out. This is not my fault.'

The more she thought about it the more angry she got. The thought of her mother getting engaged and not telling her was just maddening. Rory wondered if her grandmother knew about the engagement. Unless the world was ending, all signs were pointing to Lorelai not revealing the engagement to Emily. The fact that she was now persona non grata to her mother, basically at the same level as her grandparents in the world of Lorelai made her so angry that she threw on some sandals and marched over to her newly repaired car and drove off.

Meanwhile in Stars Hollow

Lorelai and Paul Anka sat on the lawn in front of her house watching the men work. Luke, in his rush to get TJ done with this job, re-hired the newly returned Lane, made her a temporary manager, and hired Zach and Brian to help run things while Caesar cooked, just so he could keep an eye on TJ and be sure the house ready as soon as possible. Indian summer was in full swing and with the pleasant weather he had shed his flannel and was working in just a T-shirt. The sight of her man working was causing her thoughts to go toward the dirty side. To keep herself from climbing up the ladder like a chimp on hormones, she turned her head away and her eyes landed on the tree. She smiled a secret little smile of happiness remembering Luke's moment.

"Moon's out! Moment's here! Let's go!"

Lorelai quickly jumped up from the chest she was sitting on, attempted to compose herself and walked to the front door where she met a smiling but concerned Luke.

"Hey, what's wrong?" asks Luke quietly.

"Nothing. I'm fine, just peachy keen. What's this I hear about your moment?" responds Lorelai.

"Well, traditionally, the man would ask the woman he loves to marry him, but you being the crazy lady that you are, asked me," explained Luke as he walked Lorelai to the tree in her front yard where the moonlight was shining through the branches giving the two of them standing under the tree an ethereal glow. Without any further words, Luke drops to one knee and pulls a box out of his pocket.

"I know you already asked me and I gave you my answer, but I wanted to give you this because it will not fit my finger and I think it would look much better on you. So wanna wear my ring?" Luke asks with a small grin on his face.

Lorelai looked down at the face of the man that she loved, the one she already knew she couldn't live without and just grinned back. She took the ring out of his hand and put it on her finger.

"You're right; there is no way you can pull off bling like this. Besides it looks good on this finger, can I keep it for awhile?" she says grinning like a crazy woman.

"I was thinking 60 years or so."

"Works for me. We're getting married," she says softly as Luke pulls her into a tight embrace.

"We're getting married," he replies right before they kiss.

Lorelai tears her eyes away from the tree before she remembers the Zima celebration night part two and has to be hosed down. Her eyes land on Rory's window and start to tear up.

'I don't know how to reach my girl. She's lost and staying with people that won't find her, but try and make her into something she isn't. I'm now Emily to Rory and I need to fix this.'

Lorelai jumps up, yells at Luke that she is going to Hartford and to watch Paul Anka before she hops into her car and drives off.