"Lorelai, please say something." Luke replied, unable to tolerate the dead silence between them.

Lorelai, who was slowly coming out of her shock, blinked her eyes several times. "I can't marry you…" she said weakly.

"Why?" Luke asked, not yet ready to admit he had rushed into things.

"I'm 18…" Lorelai's nervous voice answered. "I have a-a baby… and… and I haven't finished high school… you haven't finished high school."

"Marriage wouldn't stop you from going back to school…" Luke took Lorelai by the hand. "I love you, Lorelai. I love Rory too."

"I love you too… very much… but marriage…" Lorelai's voice hardened as she ended her sentence. "I'm not ready for marriage."

A smile crossed Luke's face. Not because he was happy to hear these words come from Lorelai, but because it was the only way to keep from showing how hurt he really was. "We already live together… we even have sex."

"I know."

"I opened the diner for you and Rory… we're already a family. What would be so different about being married?" Luke stared strongly at Lorelai, refusing to let go of the conversation.

"It's just different…" Lorelai looked away. "Luke, please, don't do this."

"How is different?"

"It just is…" Lorelai was becoming upset.

"Come on, Lorelai, if you're going to turn down my proposal, at least give me a better reason that "it's just." Is it the commitment?" Luke asked.

Lorelai was quickly getting a head ache. "I think two years is a commitment…"

"But marriage is an ultimate commitment… and you can't make that." Luke concluded. "You can't make it, because you don't know if you're going to stay here. It would be easier for you to walk away, if we stay unmarried."

"Wow, you are really jumping to conclusions, not to mention placing words in my mouth."

Luke huffed. "What am I, Lorelai? Am I just a friend or am I more?"

"Of course you're more."

"Are you just leaning on me until you get back on your feet?"

"Luke…" Lorelai's hurt voice replied.

"Do you ever want to marry me?" Luke stepped closer to Lorelai. "Do you?"

At a loss for words, Lorelai replied. "I don't know."

"You don't know…" Luke repeated lightly. "You don't know…" he turned around quickly and then with a sudden jerk he was facing Lorelai again. "Well, I don't know about us then."

"Please stop this." Lorelai begged again.

"Tell me, Lorelai… in another two years, where would we be? Living here… working at the diner… you the brave single mother raising your daughter, me the guy that was kind enough to let you stay with me? I don't want that… I want to be your husband… I want to be Rory's father…"

"I can't promise you those things, Luke. It's wrong of you to back me into a corner."

"I'm not backing you into a corner, I'm asking you to marry me… either yes or no and there's only one answer, Lorelai!" Luke's anger was beginning to show. "Which one is it?"

After a short pause, Lorelai parted her lips. "No." she said softly. "I won't marry you."

Luke lowered his head and gazed down at the floor. "Then I don't see a point for this relationship."

Lorelai fought back the tears long enough to give Luke her reply. "Well, if that's how you feel, then there isn't a point. Rory and I will look for another place to stay tomorrow."

Luke nodded his head. "Fine. I'm going out. I don't know if or when I'll be back."

"Fine." Lorelai barely spoke, determined to not let Luke see her cry.

He rushed by Lorelai, then by Rory and straight out the door. Lorelai collapsed onto the couch and began to weep.

(The next morning)

"Sure, you can stay with me as long as you want." Sookie replied. "I get lonesome in my new apartment."

"Are you sure you have enough room?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh yeah, not a problem." Sookie smiled.

Lorelai carried in her and Rory's things, there were still a few things left at Luke's that she would pick up at another time. "It'll only be for a short while…" Lorelai replied. "Just until I can find a place of our own."

"You stay as long as you need to stay."

After Lorelai had unpacked her and Rory's things, her and Sookie were sitting in the living room. Lorelai stared blankly into dead air.

"Lorelai, what happened?" Sookie asked respectfully.

Lorelai's eyes drifted to Sookie. "We broke up." She barely said above a whisper. "That's all there is… we broke up."

Sookie frowned. "People don't just break up… I'm sure whatever it is, it can be fixed. You and Luke are so good together."

Lorelai sighed. "Sookie… It's better this way. I have Rory. I need to go back to high school… I need to get a place of my own and take care of my daughter."

"I thought Luke wanted to help you with all of that?"

Becoming frustrated Lorelai snapped. "Well, maybe I don't want Luke's help."

"Okay…" Sookie quickly replied.

"Sookie, I'm sorry.I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Hey, it's okay. You're going through something tough right now. I'm not helping by asking all these annoying questions."

"You're not annoying Sookie." Lorelai smiled. "You're the best friend I have."

Sookie smiled as well. "Everything will work out. Just give it some time."

"What if the solution is worse than the problem?"