A/N: OMGoodness! I FINALLY finished. Holy schnikes, I'm so sorry. That took forever. I wrote one 5 chapter fic, and started another fic before I even finished this one. I owe everyone a cookie or something. Anyway, I dedicate this chapter to lots of people. First, my cousin, LindzMcBimbo, who read and reviewed my story. I love you, Escuela! Then, gilmoreaddict and her boyfriend. Then..gah, there's just too many of you. Okay, I dedicate it to all readers and reviewers. I'm up to 100 reviews now. Awoohoo! I would be the worst Oscar accepter. Now, on with the conclusion…

Chapter 8: Broken Heels, Don Bovi, and the Infamous Blue Cap

Luke took the stairs two at a time, nearly missing the last one. Once he reached the tile floor in the storeroom, he heard the diner bell ring. Damn! He couldn't quite process his thoughts yet, he just knew that he couldn't let her get away. Not yet. Not until they could talk about everything without getting angry or kissing, Not until they could both confront their fears. Not until he could apologize, if need be. That's another thing. Do I even need to apologize? I mean, yeah, I acted on an impulse for once. I even threw myself off guard by kissing her. But, I broke it off. She's the one that kissed me back. Why did she run, then?

Tearing through the curtain and dodging tables, Luke reached the front door of the diner and threw it open. The bell sounded, but it was muffled in his ears. He set a quick pace, fast enough that he would catch up with her, but slow enough that he didn't appear too desperate. Might as well give her a head start. Luke turned the corner and almost ran full force into his nephew.

"Jeez, Luke, "Jess exclaimed, but didn't stop walking. Luke turned around to watch him open the door to the diner and decided to call out to him. Jess turned around with a slightly irritated, 'no one understands me,' teenager expression.

"Did you happen to see Lorelai walk by?"

"Nope."

"Thanks," Luke answered gruffly and went back to the task at hand. He couldn't decide if he wanted to take a short-cut and meet her at her house, or take the normal way and meet her at some point. Feeling as if he had reached a fork on the road, he paused right in front of Miss Patty's. The meeting was still going on; it really hadn't been that long since his blowout. Who knew that ten minutes could seem like an hour? Making up his mind, Luke cut through some bushes, and made his way to the Gilmore home.

By force of recent habit, Lorelai took the long way home, walking as fast as she could in her heels. I'm not running. I just need some space to clear my head. I'm NOT running! She didn't know why she had to try so hard to convince herself. She was running. She let herself stop thinking for a minute and she scared herself. She acted on impulse and now she was terrified. Lorelai practically couldn't walk straight, her steps were uneven. She was on the verge of tears, but she didn't know why. Oh my God, oh my God! You kissed Luke! You kissssssssed Luke! You didn't think this through. You don't know what this means. You don't even know where this is going to lead. You don't even know what he is thinking. Okay, he kissed me first. But, that could've been a fluke, right? I mean, maybe it's my perfume. Sniff, nope didn't wear any today. Um, or your clothes. That's it! Luke kissed you because you look hot, not because he likes you. Oh boy, maybe he doesn't like me. Wait, am I admitting to liking him? Whoa, whoa hoss. Do I like Luke?

Lorelai's thoughts were interrupted when her heel caught in a crack on the street and broke. The action sent her hurdling to the ground and she scraped her elbow on the asphalt. Ouch! Ooooo, my shoe. My pretty, pretty shoe. I remember when I bought this shoe. It was just sitting there in Neiman Marcus, the fluorescent light shining down at the perfect angle…and..I just had to haaaaavvvveee it! ­The more she thought about her shoe, the more the tears trickled down her face. Great, and now you are sitting in the middle of the street, crying. God, you are pathetic. The pressure of the day and the past two weeks finally came down on Lorelai. She was tired, stressed, scared, lonely, and overwhelmed with her thoughts about Luke. She wasn't crying about the shoe anymore, that was certain. So, she sat in the middle of the Plum Street and had a good cry, broken heel still weaved in her fingers that furiously wiped away tears.

Luke wasn't surprised when he beat Lorelai to her house. He did take the short cut, after all. But now, as he stood in front of the Gilmore home, he was suddenly uncertain. He didn't know what his next move should be. I could go inside, but that might scare her to death and would result in me being thrown out. Maybe I'll just wait outside.

Luke made his way over to the steps and sat down. Taking off his cap, he ran his fingers though his hair, resting his head in his hands. What am I doing here? What possessed me to go after her? I guess I should probably think about an answer to that before Lorelai gets here. Stopping to sit caused him to think more and more about what had just taken place. He had kissed Lorelai and she had kissed him back. He liked the way she fit in his arms, the way her hair felt laced in his fingers, He was haunted by the way it felt to have her lips pressed against his, how it felt when he had deepened the kiss. Thinking or dreaming about kissing Lorelai was one thing. Now that it had actually happened, it would be hard to get the feeling out of his head. It would be difficult to forget if they mutually decided to dismiss the kiss. What am I doing? He mused once more.

Lorelai came around the corner, wiping her nose on the corner of her shirt. It didn't really matter that she just used her clothing as a Kleenex; it wasn't like she was going to see anyone. She was barefoot, carefully avoiding pointy rocks on the ground in front of her. Her shoes, including the broken heel, rested loosely in her right hand as she swung them back and forth. She needed that emotional break down on Plum. She was just thankful that most of the town was in the meeting still and didn't see her display of gut-wrenching weeping. Okay, maybe it wasn't gut-wrenching, but it certainly felt that way. I feel asphalt-y. I should take a shower when I get home.

The sight waiting for her when she passed the last house and crossed her driveway was enough to rock her socks. That is, if she was wearing socks. Lucas Danes, man of Stars Hollow, diner owner who had just kissed her, was waiting for her on her porch. He sat on the steps with his head in his hands. His blue cap was off, resting on his knee. If she didn't know any better, it would look like Luke was talking to himself. Maybe he was. He heard her step in the dry grass and looked up. Man, he has good hearing.

"Of all the gin joints…" Lorelai muttered under her breath, in basic disbelief that Luke was sitting on her front steps. The last time she remembered seeing Luke in that position was when he delivered her beautiful chuppah. Very different situation now.

"Hey," Luke said, his expression mimicking a child whose hand was caught in the cookie jar. Luke still wondered if this was a good idea.

"Uh, hey yourself. What…what are you doing here?" Lorelai's voice was shaky. She couldn't even imagine how bad she looked. Her eyes felt puffy and she could almost guarantee that mascara dripped under her lashes.

"We need to talk." Luke stated. This was not going the way he planned. All the conversations he rehearsed in his head were whisked away when he caught sight of Lorelai. She had been crying. He hated to think that he was the reason.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the understatement of the century," Lorelai sighed. That sounded harsh. Calm down, Lorelai. "Sorry. Um, you beat me." She brought her arms up, crossing them at her middle. Luke stood up, now only a few feet away from her, his hat abandoned on the grass. He looked like he didn't know what to do with his hands.

"Cut through some bushes. I wanted to talk to you and I didn't want to wait another two weeks."

"Are you trying to imply something?"

"No, I just want to have a conversation with you without fighting or, uh, other distractions."

That shut Lorelai up. There were about a thousand scenarios going through her head at that moment. Thousands of conversations. Thousands of actions. Thousands of decisions they could make.

"How can we talk about it when you can't even admit what happened to yourself?" she slightly mocked, twisting Luke's words from earlier. She didn't know why she was acting so bratty. Luke was not the one who ran. "Sorry again. I'm in a weird mood." Lorelai turned her head to look down at her bare feet. They were filthy. Luke followed her gaze and noticed the broken heel and the elbow scrape for the first time.

"What happened to your elbow?"

"Stupid heel broke in a stupid crack in the stupid street and I fell."

"You're bleeding."

"I'm fine."

"Let me see it," Luke asked, coming closer to her. She felt like a child who thought that having Mommy look at her wound would make her hurt more. She caught Luke's eye; it oozed concern. Reluctantly, she held out her elbow, feeling her lip jet out and act in pouting mode. Luke touched her elbow with his fingers, lightly bringing it up so he could see. Luke softly brushed away the dirt and asphalt remains. He let go, hands roaming his pockets, searching for something, anything, that he could give to Lorelai to help her clean up. Finally, reaching for his back pocket, he found a rag. A clean one at that. How long has that been sticking out of my pocket? Jeez, that's embarrassing. Luke left Lorelai for a moment to wet the rag with the hose then returned to her side. Lorelai hadn't moved, she only watched him. A mixture of nerves and deep desire overwhelmed her for a moment. Luke was taking care of her. Luke had always taken care of her. Luke cared for her. Did she care for Luke?

"OOOHH, WE'RE HALFWAY THERE. OOOOHHOOHH LIVIN' ON A PRAYER-EHER." Lorelai belted walking up the stairs to Luke's apartment. Luke walked behind her, making sure she didn't fall backwards in her drunken stupor. She stumbled and sang at the top of the lungs, elbowing Luke hard every time she didn't hear him singing. Luke wasn't doing much better himself. Granted, he wasn't quite as drunk as Lorelai, but he was almost there. He found himself stumbling every time she jabbed him.

As they reached the top step, Lorelai gripped his arm, pulling down his shoulder, almost causing both of them to crumble. Luke shifted his weight to remain steady while Lorelai wrapped her arms around his middle for support. She giggled and Luke laughed with relief. She didn't let go and Luke attempted to open the door. Lorelai continued singing.

"TAKE MY HAND, WE'LL MAGGEIT I SWEAR. OHOOOH LIVIN' ON A PRAYER-EHER." She paused, looking right into Luke's eyes, "Lukie, you stopped singin'."

"Don't call me that." He was having a hard time turning the knob and pulling it open at the same time.

"Come on, you make a good Bon Dovi. Haha, I mean Don Bovi. Which one is it?"

"Don't remember. Could you let go for sec?"

"I leggo, I fall. Ground is painful. Wow. Drunk sentences are sporadic."

"Leave it to you to say sporadic when you're drunk."

"Haha, you said sporadic."

"Not drunk enough to know why that was funny." Luke finally got the twist and pull mechanism down and the door flung open, almost knocking them over again. The victory of the moment inspired Lorelai to sing some more.

"OOH WE'RE HALFWAY THERE!" Luke took a few steps into the room, which took longer than normal because of his buzz and the added weight of Lorelai. Jess appeared from behind the wall looking groggy. He scratched his head and smirked a bit. His straight-forward uncle and his friend's mother were very drunk and very loud.

"Jeez, do you think you could keep it down."

"Oh, come on Thess," Lorelai spoke up and slurred out, "Haha, Thess," then she giggled, thinking 'Thess' was the funniest thing in the world. Luke also found 'Thess' humorous and chuckled.

"I'm going back to bed. Don't do anything dirty. I'm in the next room"

"Thess is such a party pooper. Dirty stuff, HA. What is Thess talkin' bout? WHA'CHU TALKIN' 'BOUT, WILLIS/" She yelled into the next room. Jess snorted. Luke deposited Lorelai on the couch then felt himself fall and sink in next to her.

"No idea. Thess never makes sense to me," he breathed out. In the back of his mind, he had an idea about what Jess was talking about. Something about downstairs. Something about Jess interrupting something downstairs. Something about he and Lorelai doing something downstairs. Stupid alcohol. He couldn't even remember what happened an hour ago. He rolled to face Lorelai. Her face made a grimace. "What?"

"You're on my hand." Luke quickly rolled off her hand and she brought it up, examining it.

"Lemme see it." She held it out, sticking out her lower lip, "This is the same one you burned." He remarked, trying to remember how he knew that she burned it.

"Oh yesh, that's the one. Thanks for reminding me." They were both a drunken mess.

"You need burn cream," he stated, surprisingly logical, "And, you're not drivin' home. Stay here, I'll seep on the couch."

"Haha, you just said seep."

"No, I said seep." Lorelai giggled, "Jeez," he exclaimed and got up. He scratched his forehead and made his way into the bathroom, opening and slamming drawers and cupboards until he found what resembled burn cream. He came back to the couch with the cream and a flannel shirt and sweats.

"Aw, what's this?" Lorelai asked, examining the blue flannel.

"You don't want to sleep in your dress, do you?" Lorelai patted her arms. Wasn't she wearing flannel earlier? Couldn't remember. Must've taken it off. Her brain was fuzzy. She stood up and grabbed the sweat pants from Luke's hands, putting them on under her dress. Luke's reactions were delayed and forgot to look away. Lorelai struggled with her zipper in the back. "Zip please."

"It is zipped."

"Ha, I mean unzip." Luke did as he was told, trying to ignore the fact that he was looking at Lorelai's bra. He racked his brain, trying to think of what had happened before. He couldn't place a finger on it. They played a drinking game. That's all he could think of. She shimmied out of the straps and Luke handed her the flannel and turned away. She managed to make her fingers work the buttons, and then pulled her bra out of her sleeve.

"Done!" She announced. Luke turned back to her and noticed the bra in her hand. Jeez, he thought. "Pulled it out of my sleeve," she stated, even though Luke didn't really want to know. Well, maybe he did, but he wasn't going to admit it.

"You amaze me sometimes."

"Thanks. Wow. Flannel equals soft."

"Give me your hand." This inspired Lorelai to sing again.

"I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAAA-UH-AND. I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!" Luke squirted out the cream and rubbed it on the burn. Lorelai burst into another song. "SHE LOVES YOU YEAH YEAH YEAAAAAH YEAH."

"Get into bed," Luke commanded.

"HEY JUDE, I'M NOT REALLY TIRED.TAKE A SAD SONG AND MAKE IT, UH, HAPPY." She belted, adding her own lyrics. Luke placed his hand on her back and led her to his bed.

"Yes, you are. It's 3 AM." Luke insisted. He pulled down the covers.

"LET IT BE, LET IT be, Let IT be, let it be." She sang, each 'let it be," became softer as she yawned.

"See."

"Yeah, yeah. Shut your mouth." She got into Luke's bed and Luke pulled the covers up to her neck. She snuggled down on to the pillow. "We all live in uh ello uberene." She sang softly with another yawn.

"Goodnight, Ringo."

"Ha, he was the drummer." Luke walked over to the couch after he turned out the light. He could already feel the sleep hitting his eyes. He took off his shirt. "Luke?" Lorelai called out.

"Yeah?"

"Um, do you, uh, think you could sleep on the bed with me tonight? I don't wanna sleep alone."

"We won't fit."

"I don't take up much room. Please." Luke relented, unsure as to why. She scooted all the way over to the edge, lying on her side. Luke got in. He was too tired to argue. He pulled the covers up and turned to face away from her. He was surprised when he felt her lips on his cheek. He turned around, trying to make out her expression in the dark.

"Thanks Luke. Thanks for everything. I just wanted to say this while I was in my drunken clarity mode, before I forget." She turned away from him. Luke was still slightly stunned.

"That's why I'm here," Luke stated in a whisper, not sure if she heard. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. He got up and placed the trash can next to her side of the bed. Just in case…

Luke stepped closer to her now, rag in hand, and pressed it against her elbow. It was cool. Lorelai shivered.

"Cold?"

"Yeah," she stated, trying to not to let him see how much his touch affected her. Lorelai took the rag from Luke and slowly made her way over to the stairs. Luke's eyes followed her, watched as she took a seat. She looked up at him and gave him a feeble smile. Then she patted the wood next to her and Luke joined her on the step. She was ready now.

"So…" Lorelai said, not sure where to begin. They had a lot of ground to cover.

"So…" Luke responded. Lorelai sucked in a breath.

"We k-kissed," she managed to spit out. The corners of her lips turned up. She looked in the general direction of his face, but she couldn't look in his eyes. Not yet.

"Yes we did."

"It was…well…uh…unexpected."

"Definitely not how I expected tonight to go."

"Me neither." They were quiet for a few minutes. Both mentally grasped for words. Luke shifted uncomfortably. Lorelai moved the rag away from her elbow and examined her scrape.

"Listen," Luke began, taking a deep breath, "This doesn't have to be a big deal. I acted on an impulse. From your reaction, it probably was the wrong impulse. We can…we can just forget this, uh, ever happened. I'd be okay with that."

Lorelai was a little shocked by what he said. He sounded almost bitter. Like he knew he couldn't just forget the kiss. Like he could foresee how awkward their friendship would be after their decision. And that's not what Lorelai wanted to happen. Everything she had been denying for weeks, even years suddenly entered her thoughts like a flash flood. Ever since the night she walked into the diner for a cup of coffee, so many things about their friendship had been questioned. They wouldn't be able to stay on this course much longer. Since that night, every touch, every word, every action, every 'almost kiss,' and every actual kiss was leading somewhere. Somewhere Lorelai wasn't sure she wanted to go before. But now…now maybe that's exactly where she wanted to be. Luke cared for her, and since the kiss, she wouldn't be able to hide her newfound feelings for him much longer. There! I finally admitted it to myself. I have feelings for Luke. No big deal, right? Um, no…it is a big deal. Now what do I say?

"I don't want to forget it," Lorelai practically whispered. She lifted her chin, allowing herself to search for his eyes in the dark for the first time. She wanted to read his expression. Luke's gaze met hers. Blue staring into blue. He looked…stunned.

"What?" he asked softly, his voice low and gruff.

"I don't want to forget that it ever happened," she repeated, "It was a great kiss."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Definitely epic proportions. I would go as far as saying it made the 'Princess Bride,' list, but that might be overkill."

"Possibly," Luke responded, trying not to let his face show the pure elation in his heart. He would let out a 'yay' but it would probably be very weird and highly inappropriate.

"What are you thinking?" Lorelai didn't realize how very corny and Relationship Barbie that question sounded, until it was already out of her mouth. Open mouth, insert foot.

"I'm thinking that I'm…relieved."

"Good."

"Very good," Luke smiled. She liked it when he smiled. It was a side of him she rarely got to see, but always enjoyed immensely. Playful, a little cocky. She grinned back. Her hand got a mind of its own, like it had many times over the past few weeks, and found Luke's. The contact with his skin made her tingle and instantly warmed her inside. Lorelai looked down at their hands. Their fingers were laced together like an intricate pattern. It sounded corny in her own head, but she was amazed how well her hand fit into his. When Lorelai looked up again, Luke was still staring at her.

"What?"

"This…us."

"Yeah," was all she could say.

"I just want you to know that I've given this, you and me, a lot of thought."

"Have you?" Lorelai teased. So had she. If she had been watching this scene on a romantic movie night with Rory, they would have mocked and laughed all the way through. But, now that it was about her, now that she was getting ready to cross boundaries with the man she considered to be one of her best friends, nothing was cheesy. Cheese was just something you put on crackers. This was something so much more. Lorelai couldn't even find the words to describe it, and she had always been a verbal person.

"I'm not going into this lightly."

"And what is 'this?'"

"Us."

"You mean dating?"

"Something like that." Lorelai grinned. She never found monosyllable Luke more adorable. "You aren't the only one who's scared," he continued," We're going to have to work on it everyday. But this…this could be good. Very good."

"I concur."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Lorelai now felt very shy around him. She knew that he knew she wasn't Wonder Woman. For the first time in her life, she didn't care about how she appeared in front of Luke. She could just be Lorelai. It was weird, but it felt good. Luke's hand suddenly grazed her face. She looked up into his eyes, his expression was serious. He let go of her hand, bringing his into her hair. Lorelai closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his hands on her. She could feel his hot breath so close to his lips. He pressed his to hers slowly, softly, and deliberately. Lorelai leaned into the kiss, deepening it. It started out so light, but she started to feel the passion ooze out of all their pores. This was it. They crossed the line.

In the distance, Lorelai thought she heard singing. A woman's voice, a jazzy piece. Her head felt so fuzzy from the kiss that she was going to blame it on her imagination. Then Luke broke apart. His hand had traveled from her hair to her back, and then to her waist. While they explored their lips, Luke tried to memorize her curves. Lorelai tried to remember every feeling. Luke kept his forehead pressed to hers.

"Do you hear singing?"

"Thank God, you heard it too. I thought I was losing my mind." They separated their heads, and Luke craned his neck, searching for the source of the music. Then Lorelai gasped, she could hear the voice coming closer. "It's Babette!"

"Jeez."

"My God, there are eyes everywhere! She's going to have a hay day when she sees us."

"If she sees us," Luke stated logically, the playful grin back.

"Ooo, I like if. Let's go inside." She grabbed Luke's hand and pulled him up. She led him through the door and into her living room as fast as possible. Lorelai seemed unsure what to do next. They were in her house, very near to her bedroom. No daughters, no nephews. And, they were dating…She left Luke's side and practically dove under her desk, frantically pulling cords, phone and otherwise, from the wall.

"What the hell are you doing?" Luke asked, his expression was full of utter confusion.

"I don't want anymore distractions," she said, holding her hand for Luke to pull her up off the ground. He silently agreed. She was at his side again. "We always get interrupted." Luke only looked confused a few seconds more, and then he raised an eyebrow. He knew what she was getting at now. Lorelai wanted to go onto the next step.

"Are you sure? Are we-" But he was interrupted by Lorelai's lips pressed against his, hard. She broke apart fast.

"I said I didn't want any interruptions."

"Okay," Luke said, and pulled her into his arms. This was it.

Outside, Babette and Morey walked passed their neighbor's home. Babette was singing "Love Is Here to Stay," in true Ella fashion. Morey added scats and percussion noises at appropriate moments. They noticed nothing amiss at Lorelai's house, so they kept walking. The blue baseball cap sat where it had been abandoned in the dry grass.

The next morning Babette was up early, taking in the sunlight and rubbing her hands across her soft robe. 'Independence Inn,' was scrawled on the left side. It had been a Christmas gift from Lorelai. She had presented it to her after Babette had raved about the robes at the Bracebridge Dinner. What a sugar!

Opening the front door of her house stepping outside, she caught a whiff of the morning air. Summer sweet. She meandered down the steps and reached down to grab the paper. Something blue caught her eye from the distance. She glanced over to Lorelai's lawn. She hadn't been mistaken; there was definitely something blue on her lawn. Ever curious, Babette crept over to get a closer look. It was a baseball cap. A blue and very familiar hat. She gasped as realization hit her. Oh my God, it's Luke's hat! Gotta call Patty!

Babette frantically ran into the house. "MOREY, I'M COMIN' IN!" She found the phone and dialed the number she knew so well.

"Patty, it's me. Sugar, you'll never guess what I found outside Lorelai's house…Luke's hat!...I know, I know…I'll meet you at the diner in ten minutes. We need to see if he's there."

In Lorelai's room, two new lovers woke up to a new day. Arms wrapped around each other. Legs tangled under the sheets. Her head rested on his bare chest. They didn't know what to expect in the future. Just for a little while, they wanted to live for the moment. Luke knew he should probably call Jess to open up the diner. He should get dressed and go do his job. He couldn't bring himself to leave her presence. Lorelai would want coffee soon. Then, Luke would get up.

A/N: Well, well, well. What did you think? Honestly. It's corny, I'll be the first to admit it. I never intended this story to go so long. In my head, it started out as a one-shot. It lasted 8 WHOLE CHAPTERS! Jeez Louise. Well, as Rory said recently, "Eight is Great."

I'd love your feedback. Reviews…Favorite parts…Favorite lines…Least favorite parts or lines…Complaints about my overuse of ellipses…J/K, I'll stop with all the dots. Personally, I liked Chapters 2 and 7 the best, 3 the worse. The line that still makes me laugh is good ol' Gypsy when she says, "Just say sex, Taylor. It's creepy when you bring the Bible into it." Maybe it's funny to me because I can so picture her saying it. I'll will eternally have "Livin' on a Prayer," stuck in my head, thanks to this story. Although, a few minutes ago I started whistling "Wonder Boy," by Tenacious D. Probably becasue of my title. Hmm, gotta love Jack Black.

Thanks for all being great readers and reviewers. You guys are like sliced bread. The cat's meow. Be sure to check out my other stories.