A/N: Michaela: Thank you very much for your review! I also hope this is a storyline that hasn't been there before. And what you mentioned about Jess and Rory ending up together, let me just say, you maybe will be disappointed for some chapters, but I hope not in the end (what I don't know because the end is not written yet). But this is a literati story, no doubt on that one!

To all the others who read my story, but do not review, I just have to hope you like it and want me to go on ;-)

4. Welcome Home

When Rory and Lorelai entered Stars Hollow, they immediately noticed the big banner "Welcome Home Rory & Lorelai".

„Well, aren't we popular here!" Rory was sitting on the front passenger's seat, very tan, looking around. Everything was decorated, they were tables and chairs on the grass around the gazebo, a buffet was just set up, and all the people came together to celebrate the return of the Gilmore Girls.

"Oh yeah, damn right we are!" Lorelai looked out of the window in awe.

After they brought their thing to their house and they had changed, they went to the party. There was loud music, Kirk was annoying everyone and Miss Patty was sitting at a table with her famous punch.

Rory and Lorelai immediately were occupied by all the people, everyone wanted to hug them. Almost the whole town was there, and now everybody was sitting ant the tables, eating, drinking and laughing. Kirk wanted to make a speech, but nobody was listening.

Just as Rory walked over to the buffet she saw Dean. He came over to her and he pulled her in an embrace.

"Hey, did you get my card?" Rory was happy to see Dean again.

"Yes, I did, thanks for that! And Rory, I missed you too, a lot actually, as a good friend, I mean, I think at the moment were both not ready for any new relationships. You know, since we both just had that."

"You're absolutely right, I think we both need a good friend at the moment, but nothing more."

But for some reason they both knew that there was more. It was just a tiny little bit, but still noticeable.

Lorelai had gone to the diner. She couldn't find Luke anywhere, so she figured he'd still be there. And she was right, he was standing behind the counter, flipping trough some magazine. When Lorelai opened the door, the little bell above the door rang and Luke looked up.

"Hey, welcome back!" Luke said happily, but somehow he was afraid to show that.

"Why aren't you at the party? You're missing everything!"

"I figured you would come here eventually, you need your coffee after all." He smiled at her, but this smile vanished immediately for fear of ridicule. Lorelai mustn't notice anything.

"So, how was the trip?"

"It was so great.." Lorelai began to tell.

While Luke and Lorelai were catching up in the diner, Rory and Dean were sitting in the gazebo, talking. Everything was like it was before.

"Do you remember, when we watched Pippi Longstocking fort he hundredth time. You knew every line by heart." Dean laughed.

„It was the fifth time, and well, I have a tenacious memory." Rory looked at Dean stuck up, but soon this expression turned into a smile.

"I'm getting something to drink, you want something?" Dean asked

"Yeah, sure, anything, as long as it's liquid." Rory answered.Dean came back with two cups with a red fluid in it.

"Oh no, is that what I think it is?"

"Sure is. Nothing else was left, and I think were big enough for this." Dean said, winked at her and handed her a cup.

"Maybe, but have you ever seen the effects Ms Patty's punch can have on people? "

"Not yet, but I'm sure you will enlighten me soon."

"At the Christmas party a couple of years ago my mum began table dancing. "

"I've seen your mum do that completely sober." Dean said deadpan.

„Touché, and cheers! "

„Cheers! "

In the meantime, Lorelai had finished telling about the trip.

"Wow, your really experienced a lot! ", Luke said.

"Yeah, well, but now you tell me what happened here while we were gone?"

"Well, nothing much. Nicole was here the other day."

"Wow, she really had the nerves to come here?"

"She wanted to apologize and…" he abruptly stopped when he noticed what he was about to tell Lorelai.

"And…what? "

„Nothing, it was nothing else, absolutely nothing! " Luke became nervous.

"Duly noted." Lorelai said confused.

Dean and Rory had finished their third cup of punch, and both were extremely drunk.

Rory was lying on one of the benches and Dean was sitting on the other one. They were both laughing as hard as possible, but neither of them knew why.

Dean stand up to get some more punch, nobody paid attention to who took the punch anymore, so the just drank more and more.

He's really cute, and this punch is really delicious. Oh my god, am I drunk? Nooo, I don't think so.

Rory tried to sit up, but she didn't succeed, so she just continued lying there.

Yeah, I made it, I forgot Jess. I like Dean now and not Jess anymore. I want more punch. Where is the punch? Where is Dean? oh my god, I'm so tired!

Diner

„Luke, what's going on?" Lorelai slowly became impatient. Luke hadn't said a word for ten minutes now.

"Nothing, just leave me alone!" Luke yelled and stormed upstairs.

You can't escape that easy, and you know it!

Lorelai went after him and opened the door. Luke was sitting on the bed, with his back to Lorelai. When she saw that he was shivering Lorelai went over to him and sat down beside him.

"Luke, what's wrong? You've acted all weird since you almost told me something downstairs. What is it?" She looked at him, desperately wanting an answer.

All of a sudden, Luke began to talk very quiet.

"Nicole said, she did all this, because our relationship was over. Because I didn't love her, …" Luke sighed, and then continued talking. "she wished me good luck, because she said, she noticed that I'm in love with someone else. And I think she was right."
Luke tried to stop it, but a tear already had escaped his eye. Finally he looked up at Lorelai.

"Lorelai, I…"

But he couldn't say anything because Lorelai had bent forward and kissed him.
And at the moment Luke felt Lorelai's lips on his, he realized what he had wanted for so long. Luke entwined his arms around Lorelai and they slowly lay down, while the kisses became more intense.

Gazebo

Rory felt how two strong arms lifted her up. The next thing she noticed was that someone lay her in her bed. Suddenly she felt a breath on her face and when she opened her eyes she saw a face that came closer to hers.

"Jess…" she said scarcely audible before she fell asleep.