AN: Okay, as always, thanks for the continued support. We're getting close to the end. I almost made this chapter just super long to finish this thing, but I decided to go ahead and post this now, with a BIG finale. Lucky number 9?

Luke stomps into the diner, surprising Liz who sits at the alone at counter eating pie from the pie plate. She puts it down abruptly as the door slams open. She jumps up from the stool.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asks her after flipping the sign to "closed" and locking the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" She returns, motioning to the sign.

"I'm closed."

"Luke, it's one o'clock in the afternoon."

He ignores this and walks behind the counter, flipping through a thin stack of receipts. He places them on the counter and starts looking around. "That's it?"

"Luke, it's one o'clock in the afternoon!" She pauses, realizing what has probably caused his awful mood. "So you talked to Lorelai?"

He looks up at her disbelieving. "You knew!"

"Well, I just found out earlier. You remember? Scene on the sidewalk?"

He leans against the counter, back to Liz, head down. "Perfect."

She leans across the counter reaching for his hand, "I didn't think it was my place to tell you."

"Yeah much better hearing it from Crazy Carrie!"

"Wait, Lorelai didn't tell you?"

"Not exactly."

A knock comes from the diner door. Luke makes no attempt to get it, sinking farther into the counter. Liz looks out to see Lorelai who gives her an apologetic and shameful face; immediately looking down after she assumes the message was at least partially received.

"You should get that," Liz tries.

Luke pushes his body off the counter, back still to the door. He begins to walk towards his apartment. "Tell her she should just go home."

Liz sighs, "I'm not going to do that." He continues walking towards his getaway. She walks up behind him and grabs his arm. "I'm going upstairs. You're going to tell her whatever you want to tell her." Luke breathes in deeply as he watches Liz retreat to the stairs. He takes in another deep breath, straightening his face, and walks cooly to the door. Lorelai has her arms wrapped protectively in front of her. He opens the door, leaning against it, not quite conveying a "come on in", and Lorelai takes a small step back.

She tries to smile but her face betrays her. "Well that's not how that was supposed to go."

Luke sighs. "It's fine. It doesn't matter. Just go home."

"It does matter." She seeks out his eyes, but they are looking anywhere but her face.

He looks at her collectively. "We broke up."

She tries again, "We did break up but-"

He cuts her off and sighs, "Don't do this Lorelai."

"It's not like it sounded."

He rolls his eyes. "Lorelai-"

"It didn't mean anything."

He breaks, speaking loudly. "I don't care! It's-" He takes a deep breath calming himself. "It's fine. I just don't want to hear about it anymore. Goodbye."

She cuts in before he shuts the door. "You were wrong about me and Christopher."

He throws his head back. "That's great. You want anything else or will that be it for the day?"

Pleadingly she wrings her hands in front of her. "Don't do this Luke."

"Do what?"

"You're upset."

"Why would I be upset? It doesn't matter anymore."

"I apologized. I hate myself Luke. What the hell was I thinking! I wasn't thinking. That wasn't me. I just don't know what you want me to do." She pleads with him; her eyes are watery and she breathes deeply, willing herself not to cry. He looks down, as her words obviously affect him as well.

He speaks low, building his resolve. "It's fine."

"Fine?"

He raises his head slowly, looking into her face. Emotional distress printed across his features. "What do you want from me?"

"I want us."

He responds quickly and harshly. "There is no 'us'."

She steps back, stung. "Oh."

He sighs and opens the door wider. He contemplates reaching to her, but reconsiders. "I didn't mean it like that."

Her arms tighten around her frame, "No, you're right. This whole thing is silly I guess. No real reason to get so worked up over a stupid kiss. I'm single, I can do that now." Her shaky voice destroys the facade of her coolness with the issue. She continues, a little more sincere. "I just needed you to know why I did it."

"Why? Why did you do it?"

She stares at him. "Because I missed you."

He scoffs, "Well that's stupid."

She defends herself angrily, "Stupid as you thinking I belong with Christopher?"

He responds equally offended. "No. Stupid as me thinking that we could make this work."

Lorelai sighs and looks down, anger subsiding. They both remain silent until Lorelai breaks the uneasiness quietly. "That's why you came over last night wasn't it?"

"Lorelai don't."

She adds hopefully, quick and desperate, "We could still do it. We could make it work."

He sighs and leans into the door again. "I used to think that was true."

Lorelai gives up, throwing her hands up, "Look! If this is about the kiss..."

He matches her tone, "It's not about the fucking kiss!"

She softens. "Then what's left? I want to be with you."

He refuses to back down. "I think you should leave."

She looks defeated. "I don't understand."

"There's nothing to understand."

"I thought we were over! You dumped me! I was throwing myself into the wake!" She grows frustrated and considers crying, or running, or hitting him hard in the stomach.

"Don't say 'dumped'. I hate that word."

"Fine! You broke-up with me."

"You lied."

She groans. "So this is where we are now! Back here?" He was being stubborn and and his jaw was set, he made no move to speak. "What about last night? You were all ready to talk! And today! But now-"

"Things change."

She shakes her head sadly, hearing the hurt in his voice. "Luke."

"What?"

"Please, just- just don't be upset."

"I'm not."

She sighs, giving in. "Fine. If this is how you want to be, fine."

"Good."

"I'll leave."

"Great."

"Fine."

She stands there looking at him, hoping for his expression to break. She sees nothing past the stone faced Luke, defiant and stubborn. "Then leave."

She sighs and backs down the stairs, still watching him. She gives in. "Bye." He breaks her look and turns to go inside. She swears she sees pain flash across his face as he shuts the door on her. So she turns and walks away.

And as the bell quietens, he turns to see her walking across the square. He leans his forehead on the door hard and closes his eyes. He slowly pulls it back and goes in to hit it again when a knock comes on the other side. He opens his eyes quickly; hopeful. Re-closing them painfully as he sees Kirk on the other side, staring at him, mere inches through the glass. He yells through the glass, "I'm closed!"

Kirk looks at him sadly, "I'm here for ya man!"

Luke sighs and rolls his eyes. "Thanks Kirk. Now go home." He closes the blinds and turns and begins to walk upstairs. He stops, and goes into the storage room, wanting to avoid the confrontation and explanations a conversation with Liz would hold.

In the storage room he starts removing items and stoically begins stocking the shelves. After clearing out a box, he stands with his hands on his hips, head down. Shit. What had he done? He kicks the metal shelf so hard that the cans he had just so meticulously stocked, fell hard to the ground as he groaned out in pain. The hurt shot up from his toes and tears pricked his eyes from the intensity of the sting. He went to move, only to realize the only slightly less painful way to move was to limp. And even then-

"Luke?" Liz was coming down the stairs.

His voice was strained as he found a box to sit on, face still wincing from the pain. "In here."

"I heard a commotion-" She stops as she sees him, sitting on a box, gingerly taking off his shoe. "What happened!"

He sucks a deep breath in as he maneuvers his foot out of the boot. "I think I broke my toe."

"What? How?"

"Owwww..." he groans as he removes his sock.

"Okay, you need to go to the hospital."

"No, it's fine." He grimaces. She makes a face at the sight of the toe.

"Luke, it's black and blue, and not really looking all that 'fine' if you ask me."

He grumbles, but she knows she had won. She grabs his hand to help him up. He stubbornly tries to walk, only falling further into her side. "Okay, take it easy there buddy." He leans on her shoulder and they slowly walk out of the storage room. She takes him to the door and stops. "Let me get my car, wait here."

He mumbles painfully, "Not moving."

"I'm serious, no marathons." She tries a smile, but his face is miserable, and he glares at her. She turns and runs to get her car.

From across the square, Babette sees Liz helping Luke into her car. In exactly 5 minutes and 22 seconds, (the amount of time it takes her to confer with Miss. Patty and then find a phone), the Gilmore's phone is ringing.

Lorelai is laying on the couch, eating Mallomars. Her face is streaked with tears and Rory is sitting across from her on the coffee table. "And then he told

you to leave?"

She nods her head sadly and stuffs the remainder of the Mallomar in her mouth. The phone begins to ring and Rory gives her mom one last sympathetic glance and gets up to answer it.

"Hello?"

AN: I go against the grain. For me, no news is always bad news. That being said, "Reviews are made to inspire greatness." -anon. Title of this chapter from "At The Bottom of Everything" by Bright Eyes.