Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls.
Luke glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand and back up at the modest grey house in front of him. 802. This was it. He turned off the ignition of his truck and pulled out the keys, chewing absentmindedly on his bottom lip. What the hell was he doing here? Wasn't this like going back, looking to the past? Did this make any sense? He heard himself let out a grunt as he hit the top of the steering wheel sharply with his palm. He knew why he was here.
After that crazy blonde woman had left he hadn't been able to get her out of his head. Her or that crazy, straight-jacket deserving little boy. Everything she had babbled had been playing over in his head for days and he couldn't go to sleep with out seeing that look in her eyes, eyes withblue so amazingly bright it was second only to one other, that he knew of anyway. "It's who you are Luke, you can't forget who you are…" played over and over like a broken record in his head. Then, two days ago she had stopped in the diner again asking for a cup of coffee—to go. His mad, angry, ranting side had come out, he couldn't help it, she'd been practically haunting him!
"What, are you like a freakin psychologist or something?" he had demanded, both hands planted on the counter directly across from where she sat perched on a stool.
"Pardon?" she asked, smiling like it was the only thing she knew how to do.
"All that mumble jumble you were givin me—is that your job? Are you a shrink?"
She giggled wildly. "Yup," she said.
He took a step back, though not releasing the counter top from his grasp, and rolled his eyes, heaving a sigh of exasperation. Figures.
"And then some," she added her grin, if possible, getting wider.
"What?" Luke's eyes had returned to hers.
"I'm a teacher Luke—in Seattle actually. I was in Hartford for a weeklong conference. I brought my son, we went sight seeing, and ended up here. I'm actually on my way to the airport to head back west right now."
He shook his head, confused.
"In my line of work Luke, if you're good at what you do anyways, you don't just teach, you mentor. Being young is never as easy as it seems." She laughed. "Being any age is never as easy as it seems. Over the years I've learned how to read people, learned a few things about life. I don't have a degree in psychology if that's what you're asking, just a lot of practice in it." She took the coffee cup Lane had filled for her and put some money down on the table. "It wouldn't hurt you to think about what I said…"
Luke rolled his eyes.
"And if you've already been doing that," she continued knowingly, "take some action on it, huh?" She leaned closer to him so the whole eavesdropping diner wouldn't hear, "I think you need to remember who you are, Luke, what's important to you, what you want out of life, before it's too late." She placed her hand lightly on top of his and smiled, not a crazy smile, but a genuine, blue eyes shining, sincere smile. Then she turned and walked away.
Luke looked down at the ten dollar bill in front of him. "Hey!" he called after her. "Hey! This is too much! You forgot your change!"
She had already opened the door when she turned to face him. "Just a tip," she said simply.
That night Luke had paced around his apartment for hours on end trying to figure out what she meant by acting on it, trying to figure out who he was, trying to figure out what he wanted, all the while scolding himself about how none of this made sense and he should just call it a night and go to bed. One phone call and thirty hours later, he was here, parked on the side of Elm Street in Winsberry, about a half hour East of Stars Hallow.
If she hadn't told him she was a teacher he had no doubt he would have never thought of this. In fact he still couldn't believe he was going through with this, but it was the only thing he could think of to put his mind at ease. He figured if he did this one little nonsensical thing then that crazy blonde lady and her goofy son would get out of his head and his life could get back to normal.
He shook his head and exited the truck before he had time to rethink anything. Moments later he was knocking, albeit a little hesitantly, on the wooden door's faded white paint. After three knocks he waited, shifting his wait from one foot to the other and tugging on the sleeves of his long sleeve, non-flannel, shirt. He had left the hat in the truck. He wasn't sure why and he was tempted to go back and get it, or better yet go back all together, when the door burst open. Luke looked up to find a grey haired woman smiling at him.
"You must be Lucas," she said opening the screen door for him.
"Yes ma'am," he answered.
"Ma'am," she laughed, "what are you doing calling me that? You make me feel old. Come on in here."
He complied and was soon wrapped in a warm hug, which he returned rather awkwardly. If she noticed his nervousness, which she probably did, she didn't comment on it. Instead she motioned for him to shut the door and follow her in as she shuffled into the kitchen calling, "Harry! Harry, Lucas is here!"
"He's coming dear, we all move a little slower these days. Would you like a cup of coffee or something?"
She looks upfrom the steaming mug smiling widely. "Aw, you remembered."
He doesn't want to smile, he doesn't want to give her coffee, and damn it he can't help either one. "A few things about you stick."
Luke cleared his throat. "Um, ah, tea? Do you have any tea? Ah, if not water? Water's fine too. I, ah…"
She gave him a concerned smile. "Tea's not a problem, dear. Why don't you go have a seat in Harry's study, it's just down that hallway to the right, I'll bring the tea in when it's ready."
He nodded his thanks and followed her directions down a wallpapered hallway covered in blue and white flowers until he found the study. Looking around him he felt two very conflicting emotions: one was a safety he hadn't felt in years, the other was an overwhelming desire to bolt. Both were bought about by the same reason: walking intothe office was like stepping through the doorway to the past, his past. In this room, Luke observed, time had clearly stood still.