Author's Note - Thanks to everyone who left reviews ; I really just wanted to see if people were actually still reading, because I was getting hits, but I got like three reviews, and since I waasn't updating frequently, I assumed that it meant people just weren't interested anymore.

Thanks for that tip scubaluver, Ihad no idea! ... and no, I don't need full out reviews. Just looking for confirmation that people are still reading, so thank you.

CHAPTER SIX : Newlyweds are Allowed

"I need the biggest cup of coffee you have to offer a woman, even if I have to pay, and while you're at it, get me a handgun, scratch that, make it a car bomb. No, we'll go one better, a grenade, some spray paint, somewhere to hide multiple bodies, and hmm, um, a muffin," Lorelai shot off, walking into Luke's and taking over an entire table.

"Anything else, your highness?"

Within the past few weeks, Luke had noticed Lorelai's demeanor had changed tremendously. She was back to her old self, flirting and joking, and eating burgers like it was her job. No more pop-tarts and tater tots; they weren't sure who was happier about that : Luke or Lorelai.

She feigned thought, "World peace, because really, this world has just gone to shambles.. The crime rates these days, seriously. Who has time to be that violent?"

"Says the woman who implied she was committing mass murder," Luke dead panned.

"Long day?" he asked, passing her the muffin.

"Understatement of the year, and that's including when Rory discovered Boy George and called him 'one freaky looking man'."

"She said that when she was ten."

"So?... coffee?"

"So, that means it'd be an understatement of more than a year," he replied, putting a kettle on a back burner of the stove.

"No need for technicalities. Just the coffee, please."

" No coffee, just tea."

"I have no time for jokes, dear husband of mine. Give me the coffee, and if you're gonna put up a fight and be mean, I'll take it to go."

"I've decided to stop selling coffee," he poured a cup of tea.

"Blasphemy! And don't you dare sit that cup in front of me. It won't be pretty. I need coffee, and I need it now. You heard how bad my day was, you went all technical on me. Hand it over. I'll tip you and everything..."

"You can't tip someone when you're not even paying in the first place," he smirked, handing her a large cup of coffee.

"Then I won't use money..." she teased, but he just rolled his eyes.

As he served other customers, Lorelai watched him carefully, knowing full well she was going to have to ask him eventually.

"Whatever it is, no," Luke said as he walked back behind the counter and refilled her mug.

"What?"

"I know that look. You're asking something. You were waiting to get on my good side, then you'll start some sweet talk, batt your eyes and innocently flirt you're way into something that I would never normally consider, and then I'll spend the rest of the day cursing myself for giving in too easily."

"My, my, my, Luke. Aren't we paranoid? How do you know you wanna say no? How do you know I'm even asking you something?"

"You're asking. I know. Now ask, so I can say no."

"You rhymed. And you don't wanna say no."

"Believe me, I want to. Whether I'll get away with it is another story."

"So should we just assume yes, or do I actually have to ask?"

"Told you there was a question. Ask."

"Well, see, I was just hoping... more like thinking. And well.."

"Stop stalling, Lorelai," he smirked. She was nervous. He never saw her nervous.

"I think you should go to dinner with me."

"Dinner?"

"Yeah. Dinner. You know, like I'll wear a dress, you can get out of that flannel, dirty, yes I know, and then we'll go for a drive, eat some dinner, go home."

"Just dinner? That's what you're asking?"

"Yes," she smiled brightly. There has to be a catch, he thought.

"Alright, I'll go to dinner," he smiled back.

"Great, I'm just gonna make a quick call and let my mom know.."

"Your mom?"

"Friday Night Dinner, you just agreed," she said, dialing some numbers.

"No cell phones in here, and I'm not going to Friday Night Dinner." He walked away scowling.

"You just agreed."

"I don't care. I didn't know you meant with your parents."

"What'd you think?"

"I thought dinner meant no parents."

"We can go to dinner sans parents another time, if that'll make you happy."

"No."

"Yes."

"No. You tricked me."

"Are you five? You agreed to dinner, we're going to dinner. It's ringing, you can't back out now,"she said, waving the phone in his face as he walked back behind the counter.

"It's not ringing, because you can't use phones in my diner. So technically that phone doesn't exist to me."

"Then how can you see it?"

"Lorelai.."

"Luke."

They were at a stand still. He couldn't go to Friday Night Dinner. But if he went, he got a regular dinner. A date dinner.

"Luke you have to go. We're married."

" You can't pull the 'married' card for everything Lorelai."

"Oh, I can. But even if I couldn't, this is clearly the situation where it's perfectly acceptable... I can't go there alone. Rory's not here, I have no decoy. Plus, they have to know sooner or later, and my mom seemed really mad about something this morning when she called, specifically to request this dinner. Do you know what time she called me Luke? Take a guess!"

He didn't guess. Even if he wanted to, she answered too quickly.

"Six-thirty AM! AM means in the MORNING, Luke. And you know what she said when I told her not to call me at 6:30? She told me that I shouldn't still be in bed. That there's so much to be done in the mornings, and I'm wasting time, letting my life slip away. And that, oh, maybe if I woke up a few hours earlier, I wouldn't be a pathetic waste of life. Now, she didn't use those words exactly, but she was implying... oh, was she implying. And so, I came to the conclusion that you, my loving, dear, understanding husband, would like to accompany your beautiful wife to dinner. At her parents house. And you agreed to dinner."

"Breathe."

"Not til you agree."

"I'll go to your stupid dinner. But we're leaving before dessert, I'm not eating anything I can't pronounce or that looks like it could still be alive, and next week, we're going to a real dinner."

"Deal. Can we get dessert at real dinner?"

"I haven't decided yet," he grumbled.

"But make that tip a good one and I'm sure I could be persuaded..." he added as he started to walk away again.

"Lucas Danes, are you flirting with me?"she asked in shock, turning around to watch him take more orders.

"We're still newlyweds, I think it's allowed."

"Either way," she shrugged.

"I'll see you later," she winked.

Short again -just a quickfiller. I had to set up for the next chapter, which should be the Friday Night Dinner, so expect that this weekend.

Question - do you guys like shorter chapters, or longer ones? I keep going to exremes, and I was just wondering.

Thanks again for responding!