A/N: This is something I've been wanting to get started for a while, but never got around to it. My own little series of JavaJunkie one-shots. This one is an alternate version of Episode 4 of Season 3: "One's Got Class and the Other One Dyes."

Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, or any of its characters.

"There are plenty other of girls out there in the world, Jess." Luke Danes tried to reason with his nephew.

"Don't you have to get back to the diner?" Jess Mariano did not feel like talking about this. He knew there were other girls… and he didn't want to be reminded of them right now. One in particular.

Luke ignored his attempt to avoid the subject. "I mean, you can go out and at least find one that you actually care about."

Jess almost flinched at that. I already have. "Oh, like it's that easy."

"Yeah, it's that easy if you try."

"Hey, the girls that I like don't give a damn about me! And unlike some other people I know, I'm not gonna sit around hoping that they change their minds and suddenly notice me." It's not like he's any further with Lorelai than I am with Rory…

Luke scowled at this implication, knowing where Jess was going with this, but hoping he was wrong. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You fixed any neighbor's porches lately? Or you go on a picnic or you get rooked into giving a ridiculous speech at a high school?"

"Shut up." Luke couldn't handle this. Not right now, and not from this kid.

"At least I've got a little self-esteem."

"Shut up."

"I'm not playing Golden Retriever, hoping one day she'll turn around and fall in my arms. If she doesn't wanna be with me, then fine."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Whatever. I gotta go, Shane's waiting."

"Oh, you mean what's-her-name?"

"Yeah, I'll bring you a new leash when I get back."

"Get outta here."

Jess stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him with a bang. Luke watched him leave, staring at the door after he was gone, trying hard not to let his brain process that conversation. Giving up after a few minutes, he sank down onto the couch and, with his head in his hands, tried to think rationally about the situation. He sat contemplating, until he suddenly broke the silence.

"He's right." He said out loud, with almost no emotion. "I am pathetic."

Armed with this realization, he jumped up, grabbed his favorite green coat and the blue cap that Lorelai had given him, and calmly walked out of the apartment and down to the diner.

"Caesar!" He yelled as he opened the door. "I have to go out… I need you to close up tonight."

"Will do, boss." His chef yelled back.

Luke strolled down the street amazed at how calm he was, considering what he was planning to do. He was not usually the type of guy who did well in stressful circumstances. Am I doing the right thing? He wondered as he feet carried him down the familiar path to his destination. I guess I better be.

When he finally arrived, he walked up the steps onto the porch that he had fixed at least ten times. He knocked on the door, but nobody answered. He knocked again, and when he still got no response, he sat down on the steps and decided he'd just wait until they came back home.

---

"So you went there to talk about your business success, and ended up talking about getting pregnant at sixteen?" Rory Gilmore asked her mother as they walked home from dinner at Al's Pancake World.

"Yeah, but the worst part was when we left, and Luke would not stop laughing at me." Lorelai replied.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Ah."

"Ah, what?" Lorelai questioned her daughter.

"Nothing, it's just that this explains why you wanted to eat at Al's tonight."

"Yeah. I couldn't take another minute of that smug look. Not that he didn't have the right to look smug. I did drag him along after all. God, I just felt like such and idiot… I don't really want to talk about this anymore. Why don't you tell me about your day? Like, what made Lane decide to dye her hair purple?"

"She said she was sick of hiding all this stuff about her band from her mom, and so she wanted to do something she couldn't hide from her mom."

"And then she changed her mind because…?"

"I don't know. I mean, she was so excited when we finished, talking about how free and independent she felt. But then her mom came home, and she freaked."

"Her mom freaked? Her mom saw it?"

"No! Lane freaked. She made me climb out the window to buy black hair dye."

"Oh, what we do for our friends."

They had reached their house by now, and Rory suddenly grabbed at her mother's arm pulling them both to a stop.

"Um… mom?"

"What's wrong?"

"Luke must have been really disappointed that he didn't get to make fun of you more at dinner."

"What?" Lorelai turned her head in the direction that Rory was looking, and her jaw dropped when she saw Luke sitting on her porch. He saw them too, and he quickly got up and made his way towards them.

"I'll just go inside." Rory said, scampering away, not wanting to get caught in the middle of the scene that might be coming, but deciding to instead watch through the window.

"Lorelai." Luke began.

"Hold it right there, mister." Lorelai held up her hand to prevent him from finishing whatever it was he was going to say. "You had better not have come here to make fun of me some more. I'm sure it was very funny to you, but you didn't get glared at to death by a mob of angry soccer moms."

"I'm not going to make fun of you." Luke interrupted her.

"Oh." Lorelai looked confused now. "Well, then why are you here."

"I just… I got into this argument with Jess."

"Ah, I see."

"No—he said something that made me think. And he was absolutely right."

"About what."

"I'm tired of just waiting."

"Luke, you're really going to have to give me some more information. I'm really lost on what is going on here."

"Well…" Luke's courage began to falter slightly, and he took a deep breath, determined not to leave until he did what he came there to do. "Lorelai, you know that your friendship means a lot to me, right?"

"Um…" Lorelai was totally thrown by what seemed to her to be a change in the subject.

"I don't want to lose that… but I can't just keep waiting." He said again.

"For what, Luke? Waiting for what?" Lorelai was practically shouting now, feeling incredibly frustrated at not understanding the situation.

Her anger seemed to fuel Luke on, instead of discouraging him. In one quick motion, he pulled her close to him and kissed her hard. Ending the kiss almost as quickly as he started it, he pulled back and looked into her eyes, searching for a reaction. All he could find was shock. In for a penny… he thought, and decided to go all the way:

"Lorelai, I love you."

Her shock grew with that statement, but soon her shock faded away and all that remained was a smile. She had been waiting for this too, although admittedly not as long as he had.

"Luke, I love you too."

Hearing those words, he pulled her in for another kiss, this time more gentle. She moved her arms around his neck as his moved around her waist. The kiss seemed to go on for hours, yet when they pulled apart, both felt it hadn't lasted long enough. After they caught their breath, their lips found each other once more, as they rejoiced in their love.

Inside the house, Rory smiled, at this unanticipated, yet at the same time expected, turn of events. She pulled away from the window, letting the curtains fall closed and walking away to give the new couple their privacy.