Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothing. Not Lorelai. Not Rory. Not Luke (wipes away a tear). Nothing.

Chapter 13- I didn't see a thing

Lori walked into the diner and smiled when she saw Luke standing behind the counter. "Hi Grandpa," she greeted.

"Hey Lori," Luke smiled. Lori walked behind the counter and gave him a big hug before sitting at the counter.

"I missed you this weekend. Where'd you and Grandma go?"

"Out of town. We just wanted some alone time. How'd things go around here?"

"Ok. Oh but the diner is now under Uncle Finn's management thanks to a bad poker hand Will played Saturday night. And how fond of Richie are you, because he's gone too."

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny." Luke pulled out a cup and poured some coffee for his granddaughter. "How was school?"

"It was ok I guess. I have to write a report on Beowulf."

"They still make you read that? I read it when I was in high school many, many years ago."

"You're not that old." Luke chuckled. "Is Will here? I wanna borrow the book from him."

"I gave him the day off since I ditched him this weekend. He's at Joey's for band practice. You're more than welcome to swing by the house to get the book if you want."

"I'll do that. Right after I drink my coffee." Lori smiled as she brought the mug to her lips. She took a sip and then put the cup down, giving Luke a skeptical look. "Grandpa, this is decaf."

"Damn it," Luke cursed himself for getting caught. "You shouldn't drink coffee." Lori looked up him with pleading eyes. It didn't take long before Luke gave in and poured her some coffee in a to-go cup. "Junkie."

"Curse of the Lorelais. Ok, I gotta go. Thanks Grandpa."

Lori grabbed her backpack and headed out the door. She headed down the street toward her grandparents' house. She grabbed the spare key in the ceramic turtle's house. She unlocked the door and walked inside. She dropped her bag in the foyer and threw the coffee cup away in the kitchen. She froze when she thought she heard something. She shrugged and continued up the stairs. Another noise. She ignored the sounds, convincing it was just in her head.

Lori walked down the hall to Will's room and opened the door. "Oh my God!" she gasped at the sight in front of her. She shut her eyes and ran out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

She stood in the hall, her heart pounding from shock and embarrassment, as she tried to comprehend what she had just seen. She had just walked in on Will having…Lori shook her head of the mental images of her uncle having sex. She really didn't want to think of him doing…that. She could hear Will and his…lady friend talking. Lori thought the woman's voice sounded familiar, but she didn't want to stay long enough to find out who she was. She hurried down the stairs when she heard footsteps coming closer to the door.

"Lori," Will called as he walked out of his room. He only had his boxers on because he didn't have time to put other clothes on. He needed to talk to Lori before she left. He ran downstairs and caught up with Lori just as she was about to walk out the door. "Lori!"

"I'm really sorry Will," Lori said, not looking at her uncle. "I didn't know you were…ah jeez. I'm sorry I walked in on you. I'll just leave."

"No, no. We really need to talk about this."

"No, we really don't. I don't wanna talk about it. Or think about it."

"Lori…"

"Will, please. Just let me go."

"Lorelai Christina Huntzberger, we really need to talk. I need to straighten this out with you. And I need to make sure you don't tell a soul."

"Oh trust me. I'm not gonna tell anyone anything."

"Lori, please. We need to talk."

Lori sighed and looked up at him for the first time. "Fine. But put some clothes on first."

Will nodded and went back upstairs. Lori looked down at her feet feeling very uncomfortable about the whole situation and the upcoming talk she was going to have with Will. And things were just about to get worse.

"Lori," a familiar voice called from the stairs.

Lori's body stiffened. No, it couldn't be…She slowly looked up to confirm her suspicions. "Lena?"

"Fire up the stove because we have a party to plan!" Lorelai shouted excitedly as she walked into the kitchen.

Sookie looked up and laughed. "What party?" she asked with a giggle.

"The big party I'm going to throw Luke."

"Why are you throwing Luke a party? Is it his birthday? It can't be his birthday. That's in November. Oh! Are you pregnant again?"

"What? No! Sookie, I'm not pregnant. Luke had that vasectomy four years ago."

"The last time you said that, Richie popped out of you nine months later. I still find that weird how the surgery didn't work."

"Well," Lorelai shrugged, "he's got super sperm, but no. I'm not pregnant."

Sookie giggled as she went back to chopping. "So if it's not Luke's birthday and he didn't knock you up again, what are we celebrating?"

"We're celebrating the fact that my husband, the father of four of my children, and more importantly, my coffee provider, has agreed to be the town's head elder." Lorelai let out a breath and smiled. "I can't believe it Sook. Luke, my Luke, is going to be the head town elder. That's like the biggest political power in town. He'll have more authority than the mayor! This is so exciting! Isn't it exciting?"

"Um hm."

Lorelai could tell by the way Sookie refused to look at her and the expression on her face, she didn't really mean what she had said. "Sook?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not excited."

"Yes I am."

"No you're not. I can see it in your face."

"Well…" Sookie sighed and put down her knife before facing her friend. "You don't find any of this…weird? I mean…it's Luke."

"I know it's Luke. He deserves this."

"I agree. I totally agree with you sweetie, but…it's Luke. He hates getting involved in town functions and suddenly he's going to agree to being the center of town affairs? Your warning flares have to be up."

"I'll admit I was pretty surprised at first too, but he isn't necessarily going to have to be at these functions."

"Well, why didn't he tell you?"

"He was embarrassed. And come on, it's Luke. He doesn't like to be the center of attention."

"And throwing him a big party isn't going to make him the center of attention?"

Lorelai sighed. "Sookie, do you know what he told me?"

"What?"

"His father was a town elder for five years before he died. And his grandfather served twenty-four years on the board. His family has been helping out this town since it was founded. He's feeling guilty because he doesn't think he's living up to his family's potential."

"I'm sorry Lorelai, but I'm not buying it. Not completely at least. There's something else. I know there is. I can feel it."

"Sookie, please," Lorelai said with pleading eyes. "I just want to throw him this party. Let me throw my husband this party."

Lorelai knew Sookie was right. She knew there was another reason Luke was doing this beside the reasons he had given her. And it was tearing her up inside that Luke felt he needed to hide whatever it was. Sookie's heart broke for Lorelai.

"Alright. We'll throw him a party," Sookie said. Lorelai hugged her, whispering a thank you. "So where are we having this big, extravagant party that'll tell the town who their next generation of town elders is going to be, thus breaking a three hundred year old tradition?"

"I was thinking town square," Lorelai half-joked.

"So we can rub it in our ancestors' faces?"

"Exactly."

"Luke," Max called as he headed upstairs to Luke's office. He knocked on the door before walking in. When there was no response, Max let himself in. Luke was sitting at the table, obviously deep in thought. "Luke," Max called again, finally getting his attention.

"Max," Luke said as he sat back. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously not. I can to drop this thing off." Max placed a hammer on the table. "Is everything ok? You look…worried."

"I just have a lot on my mind."

"You, uh, wanna…talk about it?"

Luke raised a brow. "Are we allowed to do that? I mean, we're guys."

All men had an firm understanding that when together, they talked about manly things like sports, fixing things, beer, women, buildings, business, etc. They never talked about feelings or what was bothering them. The Stars Hollow men were no exception to the rule.

"I don't know." Max sat across the table from Luke. "You wanna give it a try? I mean, the girls do it all the time."

"It's not weird?"

"Oh this is definitely weird, but you really look like you've got something troubling you. We're friends and friends help each other out right?"

"I guess…"

"Ok then. What's on your mind?"

Luke sighed and leaned forward again. "I finally talked Lorelai into letting Richie have that operation," he said.

"Really? That's great!" Luke stared blankly at Max. "That's not great. Why isn't it great?"

"I can't afford the surgery."

"I'm pretty sure your insurance will cover it."

"The insurance will cover the surgery itself. But it doesn't cover therapy, the antibiotics, and the additional medical treatments."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not a Rockefeller and I can't afford to have a health plan that'll cover the therapy, antibiotic, and additional medical treatments. I talked to that ear specialist we've been taking him to and he gave me another estimate of how much it'll cost."

"And?"

"I'll have to sell my truck, my house, my diner, my kids, my liver, my kidneys, and other parts of my body. Then I'll just have to figure out how I'm going to get the other half of the money."

"You know Rachel and I love Richie and we'd be more than happy to…"

"Max, I know where you're going and don't. I don't want to borrow money from you. Lorelai and I have money. Just not that kind of money."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Luke sighed as he got up and started to pace around. "I could always get another job."

"With the hours you put in at the diner? How are you gonna do that?"

"I don't know! I have to do something! I can't pull Will and Emma out of Chilton because without it they'll never get into an ivy league college."

"If you're not willing to ask for help, you're never gonna get through this. Maybe Logan…"

"Whoa! No, no, no. I am not asking Logan and Rory for money. I'm not that desperate."

"Then what Luke? You're not getting anywhere."

"I don't know!" Luke yelled.

He suddenly felt really dizzy and there was a pain shooting in his chest. No, not now! Luke yelled in his mind. He could see Max stand up and take a few steps toward him. His lips were moving, but Luke couldn't hear what he was saying. Luke fell to the floor in pain clutching his chest. Max immediately went to his friend's side.

"Luke," Max said worriedly. "What's wrong? Luke. Luke! I'm calling a doctor."

"No," Luke managed to strangle out. "No doctors."

"You're insane. You need to see a doctor."

"Damn it Max! I said…argh!" Luke shut his eyes tightly as the pain shot through his chest again. He grabbed Max's shirt when Max tried to get up to call a doctor. "Please," he begged through ragged breaths. "Don't…don't call a doctor."

"Why? Why don't you want me to get you help?"

"Lorelai doesn't know."

"She doesn't know what?" Luke said nothing as his breathing slowly returned to normal. "If you don't tell me, I'm calling nine-one-one and then I'm calling Lorelai…"

"I have coronary heart disease," Luke blurted out.

Max stared at him in shock. "I'm sorry. I thought you said you have…" Luke slowly nodded. "Holy crap. You have…you're. Oh man. I should have known something was up when Rachel told me you collapsed."

"She told you about that?" Luke asked as he slowly got to his feet.

"Of course she did! You scared the shit out of her! How did Lorelai take it when you told her?" Luke said nothing. "You haven't told her! You have to tell her!"

"I can't! Not with Will getting into trouble every other day, Richie needing this surgery, and Rory and Logan having marital problems. I can't…I can't dump this on her. Not now. You can't tell her Max. You have to swear you won't say anything to her." Max just shook his head. "Max! You have to swear not to tell Lorelai!"

"I'm not getting in the middle of this!"

"Then don't be! If you don't say a word to Lorelai about this, you're off the hook! It's like you don't even know."

"Yeah, but I do know!"

"She doesn't know that. Come on Max. I'm giving you an out here. Take it or leave it."

"I won't say anything if you let me help you with Richie's surgery."

"Max…"

"Take it or leave it."

Luke took a deep breath. "It's just a loan. I'm gonna pay you back every penny."

"I know you will. So we cool?"

"You won't tell Lorelai?"

"You'll take the money?"

"I'll take a reasonable amount of money."

"I won't tell Lorelai." Max turned to leave, but paused at the door. "Just, do me a favor Luke. Promise me you'll tell Lorelai. Not now or tomorrow, but before it's too late."

"I'll tell her." Max nodded and walked out of the apartment. Luke sat down at the table and buried his face in his hands, letting out a long sigh. He knew what he had to do.

Next time on "Breakaway": Logan is worried about Rory when she's constantly ill. Will is in a bad mood when Emma, Lori, and Lena find him at Luke and Lorelai's house. Lorelai and Richie spot Luke walking out of the hospital in Hartford.

A/N: Happy Turkey Day! Hahaha. I decided to cut Richard's scene because I'm debating whether or not I want to go through with that story line. On to other news, I started another fic over at my board. It's a general fic with LL undertones. For those who have been reading Regret, I finally updated. And last but not least, an update on "Who should Lori's love interest be?" poll: There's a FOUR way tie as of right now between Dominic Medina, Joey Rygalski, Holden Mariano, and a new character (which the readers get to make up). Come on people. I need your opinion! Even more so, I need your reviews! I'll die without them and that would be bad because I won't be able to finish The Broken Road if I'm dead.

One more thing before I go: What do you think is going on between Rory and Jess?