AN: I want to take a second to thank my loyal reviewers. I try to tell myself that I'm not dependent on reviews, but as it turns out, I am. I love them and they inspire me to write more and update more frequently. And for that, I sincerely say, "Thank you" to all those who have been reviewing and coming back for more. And that's really all I wanted to say. "Thank you." Oh, and, expect something light-hearted from me in the future, with writing drama and now that the actual show is stressing me out with drama, I'm about all-drama'd out. But not yet. Oh, not yet. This one has been writing itself, and for some reason, it can't get away from that genre. But I'm okay with that. It needs to go where it needs to go. Stay tuned.

Sookie slipped out of the diner, barely hearing Luke's fleeting "Sookie!". She would have to meddle later. Right now she had to play some major interference, some major defense. As she approaches the two women she hears Carrie asking why Liz is here. And, to Sookie's dismay, Liz answers, "Well Luke and Lorelai broke-up."

"Oh I know! I went out last night and actually-"

Super Sookie to the rescue. "Yeah, Carrie right? I saw you last night!"

Carrie and Liz turn questionably to the stranger.

"I'm Sookie. Sorry to interrupt, I was just passing by." The remark would probably be a lot more convincing if she wasn't desperately trying to catch her breath.

Liz cocks her head, "Sookie?"

"Yeah I'm a friend of-um-Luke." Her head spun as she tried to find a way to interfere news that was moments from Carrie's mouth.

She glanced into the diner and saw Luke watching the scene with intense curiosity.

Carrie opened her mouth. "So you were out with Lorelai?"

Liz's head spun back to Carrie. "Lorelai?"

Oh god. "Yeah." She nervously laughs. "Just two girls out on the town."

She looks in the diner and her heart nearly jumps out of her chest as she notices Luke still watching them, and worse, starting for the door to join them.

"Oh god."

"Are you okay hun?" Liz asks and places her hand on Sookie's shoulder.

"Okay let's cut to the chase," Luke approaches the door and Sookie sees Kirk stopping him. She turns her attention to Carrie. "You can't tell Luke."

Liz looks stunned. "Tell Luke what?"

"I don't even know you." Carrie looks at the stranger apprehensively and crosses her arms defensively. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Tell Luke what!" Liz repeats desperately.

Liz's presence seems to be all but forgotten.

"She was drunk and sad, and-and, it didn't mean anything. It'll just cause trouble."

"If someone doesn't tell me what's going on soon-"

Carrie explains proudly, "I saw Lorelai making face with some bartender last night. Real looker, probably 28."

"What! How could she!"

Sookie looks defeated. "Please, I'm begging you, don't tell Luke."

"Don't tell Luke what?"

In Sookie's desperation, she had failed to realize that Luke had broken away from Kirk rather easily, with a threat and a glare, and had joined them seconds earlier. And he looked pissed.

Lorelai had made it down the stairs and was holding coffee number three in her hands. The Tylenol had began to kick in and she was enjoying a syndicated version of "Sex and the City". Rory popped her head in from the kitchen.

"I'm going to go get us some food. Any requests?"

"Pancakes." She stops and adds quickly, "Frozen, from Doose's."

Rory meekly suggests, "I could go to Luke's?"

Lorelai sighs. "Hon..."

"I don't think he's mad anymore." She stops and silently contemplates. "I mean he came here last night."

Lorelai jerks her head towards Rory causing her to spill coffee onto her exposed thigh. "Shit! Shit!"

Rory runs from the kitchen with paper towels in hand and quickly gives them to her mom who has jumped off the couch. She pats her leg. "Dammit."

Rory stands by submissively. Lorelai's head is spinning, and her chin quivers and rubs her leg a little longer than necessary, gaining composure to face her daughter with the millions of questions running through her mind.

She breathes deeply, standing upright, burned skin, dry and momentarily forgotten. "What?"

"He was here last night. Outside. When I was leaving to come get you guys." She pauses as her mom sits back on the couch in a stunned silence. "I didn't tell you cause I knew you were already upset, and you were in no condition to deal with that last night." She adds hopefully.

Lorelai's head falls, (with her expression), and she places her head in her hands. "Did he, say anything?"

Rory sits next to her mom, hand on undamaged thigh. "He was just standing in the front yard. I think I startled him. He said he was just leaving and left before I could ask him anything." She looks at her mom sympathetically as she groans softly. Rory continues. "I think he was here to talk." Lorelai groans louder.

Rory looks at her, "Are you okay?"

Lorelai looks up from her hands, "So far from okay Rory. So far."

"No it's a good thing! He wanted to talk. Which could only mean one thing! He wants to get back together!" Rory is trying to telepathically convince Lorelai to be happy about this, deducting that if she is cheerful enough for both of them, some of the excitement would spill over onto her mother. Her face falls when she realizes that her mother's expression of sadness has only deepened.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh Rory, at no point in my life have I ever planned on saying this to my daughter, or anyone for that matter, but," She pauses trying to will time to move backwards, but to no avail. She continues, "Mommy made out with a hot bartender last night."

And if it weren't for the circumstances, they both would have laughed and Rory would cover her ears and let out an over-exaggerated 'Ewww' and Lorelai would laugh at her own antics. If it weren't for the current circumstances. Rory instead lets out a soft, "Oh."

Lorelai matches her tone with a, "Yeah."

"Oh Mom..."

"Yeah I know how to screw 'em up right don't I?"

Rory counters, "Well you were broken-up, it doesn't technically count."

"Oh, it counts. It'll count to Luke, and it counts to me."

"Mom,"

"Yeah, so I guess that's that."

"Maybe he doesn't have to know."

Lorelai lets out an ironic laugh, "We've done this before I believe. It's called break-up number one."

"Well maybe if you just explained it to him-"

"Told him what exactly? That I was drunk?"

"Well, yeah."

"Hon, I know I'm new to the whole concept, but I think it's called being in an adult relationship. Excuses like that don't fly. I'm an adult and I knew what I was doing."

"But you were confused..."

"Look hon, let's just get some breakfast. Maybe Sookie is at the inn. We can go there and get first class hangover food."

Rory looks a bit defeated. But she nods at her mom and stands up and grabs the phone. "Call her first."

Lorelai takes the phone, "Yeah, hopefully she remembered her liquids last night. Let this be a cautionary tale young one." Rory offers a small smile.

Sookie looks from Carrie to Liz, pleading quietly.

"And I repeat, tell me what!"

Liz was the first to speak up. "Look hon, let's go back into the diner."

"Don't 'look hun' me. I don't need to be ushered around like some kid! Someone tell me what's going on!" He voice had risen to a level that pierced through glass and caused the entire diner to be looking curiously out to them.

"I saw Lorelai last night." Carrie broke the tension and both Liz and Sookie looked defeated, bracing themselves for the wrath that the rest of the story would bring.

Luke remained still, glaring at the three awaiting further explanation. When nothing came, Liz stepped in. "She was at a bar with Sookie. That's all. They went to a bar."

Sookie looks relieved and tentatively continues, "We just didn't want to upset you."

Luke grunts. "She can do whatever she wants." He turns swiftly and walks back into the diner. Liz follows him with her eyes and then turns to look at Sookie who is letting out numerous sighs of relief.

"He's going to find out. It's a small town."

"I know, I know, just, could you not tell him now. Lorelai should tell him."

"He's really upset about this whole break-up thing. I think he should know now. Maybe it'll help him get over her. He deserves to know."

"Aww, is poor Luke heartbroken?" Carrie ask suggestively.

Liz sighs, "Not now Carrie." Carrie steps back dejected.

Sookie looks thankfully towards Liz. "Look, I understand, i just-" She starts again. "She was really upset last night, and she just thought she had to prove to herself that she could move on." Liz looks sad at this. Sookie continues, "I only have the best of intentions."

Carrie chimes in, "It seems like your only intentions are to protect Lorelai."

"No she's right. Lorelai should tell him. She has until I leave, but at 6 o'clock today I'm leaving, and he's going to know from me. I can't keep this from him."

"Okay, thank you, I understand." Sookie starts walking backwards. "Nice to meet you two." And she nearly falls over herself to run to tell Lorelai.

Liz and Carrie look on slightly amused. "She's a little on the spazzy side." "Yeah." Liz looks into the diner sadly and watches as Luke growls at a customer. "I just hope Lorelai will do the right thing."

"Well Michel said she's not at the inn and Jackson hasn't seen her. And her cell seems to be off."

"Well maybe frozen pancakes won't be that bad."

Lorelai chides her daughter, "They're actually pretty good, just load them up with lots of butter and syrup-"

A loud knock at the door causes both girls to startle. They look at each other questioningly and Rory moves to answer the door. Lorelai sits on the couch and wraps a blanket protectively around her, fearing the worst. Rory's hand has barely turned the knob when Sookie bursts through the door out of breath. She puts her hands on her knees shaking her head disapprovingly repeating, "Bad, bad, bad,"

"Bad?" Lorelai asks fearfully as Rory places her hand on Sookie's back. "You okay Sookie?"

Sookie shakes her head forcefully and continues trying to catch her breath. "Bad."

"Okay, we covered 'bad'. Care to fill us in? You're kinda freakin' me out here Sook." Lorelai pauses. Couldn't be the inn, she just spoke to Michel, and Jackson, so it couldn't be that. Which only left..."Sookie?" Lorelai asked fearfully.

"Crazy Carrie! Bar!"

"Crazy Carrie?" Lorelai and Rory were now sufficiently confused. "What in the world could Crazy Carrie have to do with anything?" Lorelai almost laughs until she sees the look on Sookie face.

"She knows."

"She knows? Knows what?" Shock flashes through Lorelai's face, joining fear and introducing dread, she repeats a bit more forcefully, "Knows what?"

Sookie glances questionably to Rory and continues, "Knows, knows..."

Lorelai sinks into the couch stunned and Rory catches up. "Oh. Oh! Oh no! Bad!"

Sookie nods thankfully. "Bad." She can finally manage a sentence, "And Liz knows too."

At this Lorelai shoots up. "Liz!" This isn't happening.

"Bad, bad, bad!" Rory repeats.

"Crazy Carrie told her," She pants, "And Luke came up,"

Lorelai's hand flies to her mouth, "No!"

Sookie shakes her head. "He doesn't know. Yet."

"Yet?" Panic takes over. "Oh god! Yet?"

"Liz said she's going to tell him if you don't. Today!"

"Oh god!" Lorelai falls back on the couch.

"How does Crazy Carrie know?" Rory pipes in questionably.

Lorelai rises up again to look at Sookie.

Sookie concedes, "She was there! Last night. She saw it for herself." Lorelai groans.

"You have to tell him Lorelai."

"I'm going to throw-up." Rory runs to her mom's side and grabs her mom's hand. Lorelai gently pulls away and runs to the bathroom, her hand on her face. Rory falls onto the couch and Sookie slowly joins her, finally able to catch her breath. "This is bad."

Rory nods. "Maybe he'll forgive her."

"I hope so hon. I hope so."

Rory gets up and walks to the bathroom door. She knocks lightly, "Can I come in?" She thinks she hears a soft, "Yes" and opens the door carefully. Lorelai sits on the side on the tub and doesn't look up from her hands when Rory walks in. She sits beside her on the toilet.

"It's going to be okay Mom." Her mom's shoulders shake lightly and she continues gently, "He'll forgive you. I know he will. This isn't you. That wasn't you. Luke knows that. You won't lose him mom."

Lorelai gently raises her head, "I'm not worried about losing him. I've done that. I've lost him. I just don't want to hurt him."

Rory gently places her hand on her mom's back. "It'll be okay."

"God I hope your right." As did Rory.

An hour, a shower, and lots of concealing make-up later, Lorelai walks down the stairs. Sookie and Rory sit on the couch and both look up as they hear Lorelai walking down.

"Ready?"

"No. But I have to be right?" She takes a deep breath and walks towards the front door. Rory runs up and gives her a hug. "Good luck Mom." Lorelai looks at her appreciatively and continues to the door. "Here I go." And with that she opens the door and disappears.

A familiar sense of uneasiness settles on Lorelai's stomach as she approaches the diner. She pauses and sighs as she sees the boat. When did everything become so messed up? As she gets closer, she notices a meter-maid standing by the boat, apparently writing a ticket. Lorelai quickens her step as she approaches the woman.

"I'm sorry is there a problem here?"

"Is this your boat?"

"Well, technically yes."

"You can't park it here. I'm going to have to give you a ticket."

Great. "Look, it's here only temporarily. I didn't realize it couldn't be parked here."

"Ah, the famous 'plea of ignorance'." She continues writing.

"Look Lady, I'll have it moved it tomorrow, just please, don't write me a ticket. I've had a really, really bad day."

"Sympathy will get you no where." And she rips the ticket out of her book and hands it to Lorelai. "Have a nice day."

Lorelai grumbles, "Thanks, you too."

She looks down at the ticket, and then shocked lifts her head and yells at the retreating meter-maid, "Seventy-five dollars! You have to be kidding me!" The meter-maid doesn't even give her a second glance as she walks further and further away. Lorelai sighs and begins to stuff the ticket into her purse.

And then, a familiar voice comes from behind her, "I'll take care of it." She whips around surprised, face to face with Luke.

TBC