A/N: Alright, alright…I can take a hint! You guys are not very patient people. So, here we are, the chapter you have all been waiting for…THE EXCITING CONCLUSION! So, without further ado (and rambling for that matter), the dedications. Not only do LLfreak8285 and I share the same birth month, but come August, we will both be "TWENTY-ONE!" (insert keg guy voice here). Happy day. Here's your treat and escape from tests and papers. I have two tests this week, it's back in the library all day for me. And, to orangesherbert7 for her long and rambling review. I didn't mind, I ramble too. And, to Lolabelle26 for making me snort while I was on the quiet floor of the library today. And…oh, heck, to the whole lot of you! You guys are all great! Before you scream, "Get on with it!" here we go…

Chapter 7: Cupid Works in Mysterious Ways

February 14th, 1997

Lorelai drummed her hands on the table as she impatiently waited for coffee and Rory to come into the diner after school.

"Bada bum do deet dat doo doo. Bing bada booda bada doo da. Deedle dum dum do dum," she sang rhythmically. Luke gave her an irritated expression as he brought the coffee pot and mug over to the table.

"Do you mind?" he said gruffly, placing the famous big mug in front of her.

"Actually, yes I do. You're interrupting my scat practice," she smirked at him. Luke rolled his eyes and started to walk away with the pot. Lorelai called out to him in a panicked voice, "No wait! Don't take it out on the coffee."

"How does taking the pot away from you mean taking things out on the coffee?"

"That is coffee's destiny. It must be drunk. Do you really want to be the person who denies coffee of fulfilling its calling?"

"How many cups have you had today?"

"Are you trying to insinuate something?"

"Only that I think you've reached your caffeine limit."

"Since when do I have a caffeine limit?"

"Since you started banging on MY table in MY diner and annoying the hell out of me."

"Well, you certainly are in a good mood today," Lorelai quipped. Luke was especially grumpy.

"Let's just say that all this lovie dovie, 'let's spend all my money on flowers that will die the next day and chocolate that will go straight to your hips' crap is getting on my nerves this year."

"Only this year?"

"Alright, it irritates me every year, but it feels like everyone is coming in here to rub it in my face today."

"Yes, they heard about the inviting mood and the friendly diner owner. Your secret is out. Are you going to give me the coffee or what?"

"Will you stop scatting?"

"I'll say yes, but I make no guarantees."

"No coffee until you promise to stop," Lorelai pouted. Luke rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Alright…fine! Please fill," she said and held out the mug. Luke sighed as he relented, filling her mug nearly to the brim. "You are a beautiful, beautiful man for this."

"Good to know," Luke muttered as he turned his back and walked back over to the counter. Lorelai looked over at the clock on the diner wall. Rory should already be out of school and on her way over. Lorelai picked up her spoon and started to absently tap it on the table. She heard Luke clear his throat loudly and she turned. He glared, she smiled sweetly. Lorelai heard the bell on the door ring and she whipped her head around, hoping to be greeted by the familiar face of her offspring.

"Hey Mom," Rory said as she plopped into the chair across from Lorelai. She dropped a big pile of books on the table, making it jiggle. Lorelai protectively grabbed her mug.

"Watch the coffee, sweetie. I had to practically beg for Luke to give me this much."

"So sorry. Sip?"

"How could I deny my flesh and blood?" Rory took a sip out of Lorelai's mug. "How was school, hon?" Rory grinned slightly, making Lorelai a little suspicious.

"It was good."

"Just good? Not great?"

"If I say it was great, will you stop asking me for better adjectives to describe my day?"

"What is with all the testiness around me this afternoon?" Lorelai said in exasperation.

"I'm not testy. We go through this every day. You ask me how my day was, I say good, you ask if I'm sure it wasn't great, I say yes just to please you, then you ask me if it was fabulous and not great… It's a never ending circle."

"Well, you can't blame a mom for trying. You're reaching that age when you will stop telling me everything."

"Never," Rory said with a smile. "Do you think Luke will let us have pie?"

"Only if we really irritate him to the point that he has to give us some in order to stop doing whatever annoying thing we are doing."

"That seems like a lot of effort."

"Ah, but the rewards are two-fold. We get pie and we get to see the vein on Luke's forehead get bigger and bigger until it looks like it might explode."

"One of these days we are going to give Luke aneurism."

"Shh! Don't say that! We'll jinx our coffee and food supply, and unless you suddenly have the innate ability to grill hamburgers, we'll starve to death."

"Ooo, you're right. I hope Luke outlives us."

"Me too, sweets…So, tell me all about your first junior high Valentine's Day!" Lorelai found herself silently reminiscing about days of her first crushes, boyfriends, and slow dances; all staples in the junior high world. This would be 13-year-old Rory's first taste of boys and although Lorelai wasn't thrilled with the idea of her baby girl dating, she was glad that she could finally talk to her daughter about the opposite sex.

"Nothing big. The whole class doesn't give you valentines anymore. A bunch of girls got flowers sent to them from secret admirers. Lane gave me a big bag of those message hearts and I gorged out on them during class. There's a dance tonight, but I probably won't go."

"Huh…well, maybe you should." Lorelai said seriously. Rory was the type that wanted to only focus on schoolwork and not the social aspects that school had to offer.

"Why?" Rory's eyebrows were scrunched in confusion.

"Well hon, as much as I love that you're a mama's girl and a homebody, I don't want you to miss out on every school experience. Junior high is fun. That's when I got my first crush and first kiss. You have never gone to a school dance. Okay, yes there are crappy decorations, usually a bad DJ, the Macarena, and boys with sweaty hands, but it's an experience and you might end up having a good time."

"I doubt it. It's not really my thing. I'd rather just go to the carnival or watch those mockable romances that we set aside for tonight. Besides, I don't want to leave you alone."

"Aw, you never have to worry about me. I'll find something to do. I can hang out here and eat dinner and watch as Luke rants about romance. Or, I could wander around the carnival with Sookie and watch the movies with her. I have plenty of options. Besides, I'm sure there's some strapping young lads who would love to do the YMCA with you. Just no dirty dancing."

"Well, I guess you are right. Some of my friends are going, not Lane for obvious reasons," Lorelai nodded, remembering Mrs. Kim's views on Satan dancing, "and, um, there is this one guy that…"

"Whoa! A guy! What guy? You're holding out on me!" Lorelai tried to calm the panicked voices in her head. Rory has a guy! Since when?

"Um, yeah, well, today he, uh, gave me this…" Rory opened up the top book and produced a handwritten note on notebook paper, the frayed edges still attached. "He said he liked me and hoped I was going to the dance so he could dance with me."

"Really?" Lorelai said, trying to hide all evidence of shock from her face. Okay, yes, I was trying to get Rory to go to the dance, but that was before there was a potential crush in the picture. Rory is too young to date! What are you, a hypocrite? You just told her that you had your first kiss in junior high. Why should you be scared? Rory is not you. "Well, uh, do you like him?"

"I don't know. He's nice, but I don't want to date or anything." Phew, good answer.

"Is he cute?" Lorelai asked, hoping for an honest answer. The corners of Rory's mouth turned up slightly.

"Kinda."

"Well, it's settled. You should go to the dance."

"I guess…"

"Which of your friends are going?"

"Um, Sara and Ashley, and maybe Lindsay."

"Well, I have a very impromptu plan. I'll get pie to-go and you go over to Lane's right now and ask her to come over. We'll meet back here, then go home. You will call Sara and tell her you are going to the dance. Lane and I will make you very beautiful. I will call Sookie and she and I will walk you over to the dance. Sookie and I will eat dinner at Luke's, then hang out at the carnival, so if you absolutely hate the dance you can meet us there. Then, since its Friday, the three of us will gorge out on junk food and watch a movie. Maybe Lane could spend the night. How does that sound?"

"I guess it's not too horrible of plan."

"Rory, if you really don't want to go to the dance, just tell me. I won't be hurt. I'm not trying to force you to go. I just think it's something you might like, and you are not the type of girl who would try this on her own. And I'm not saying that you have to date this guy or make kissy faces at him either. Just hang out with your friends, have some punch, maybe have a couple of slow dances. That's it. So, it's all up to you." Rory looked as if she was mulling this over in her head for a moment. Then she flashed her special grin reserved for when she had a great idea or something funny to say.

"Can I borrow your pink skirt and wear some mascara?"

"Oh, absolutely." Lorelai smiled. It seemed like deep down, Rory was really seeking her mother's approval to go. Maybe she wanted to go the whole time, but was afraid of asking her or telling her about the mystery boy. Rory was so shy when it came to things like that.

"Then…okay. I think it might be fun."

"Good. I think you will have fun. And, if you don't, you have my permission to never go to another dance again."

"Sounds like a plan, Stan."

"Alright, my little Emma Peel. Let's execute phase one of Getting Rory to the Dance."

"That's not a very good name."

"Hm, you're right…how 'bout Operation Va Va Voom."

"Perfect, I'm going over to Lane's. Meet you back here?"

"Yes, and if you aren't back in 10 minutes, I'll call for back up."

"Okay!" Rory gathered up her books and backpack and practically gushed out the door. Lorelai glanced over at her now excited daughter once more, before making her way over to the counter to get pie. She felt worried, but excited for Rory at the same time. She couldn't explain it. Lorelai was faced with a lot of interesting aspects. Rory had a potential boy that liked her. Luke raised his eyebrows in question as Lorelai took a seat at the counter.

"She certainly left in a hurry." Luke simply stated, using his head to slightly gesture to the diner door.

"Yes she did. She's excited. She went to get Lane, then she'll be back."

"What's Rory excited about?" Lorelai sighed with a nostalgic smile on her face

"She got her first note from a boy today, and now I am going to go help her get ready for her first dance."

"You're kidding! Isn't she a little young for that?"

"Not really. She's 13, Luke. Think back to when you were in junior high. She's right on schedule, I suppose." Luke leaned down to be closer to Lorelai, so the whole diner wouldn't hear their conversation.

"But still, Rory is different. She doesn't pay attention to boys from what I have seen."

"Well, today one caught her attention. As much as I'd like to think that she is still 6, she's growing up, Luke."

"Do you even know anything about this kid? He could be a creep. If he lays a hand on her, I swear I'll kick his ass. I don't care if he is 13." Lorelai grinned at Luke's concern. When did she find a friend that was so protective of her and her daughter? They had only known each other for two years, but they had quickly gone beyond the junkie/supplier relationship.

"I think she'll be fine. Rory has good judgment. Besides, she will probably spend the whole night drinking punch and talking to her friends. Knowing Rory, she may spend the entire night trying to avoid this guy."

"Well, can I get you anything?"

"Rory wants pie. I'll take anything sweet, and get me two coffees to-go."

"Sure, but I'm only giving you one cup because you are going to give the other to Rory."

"No, they're both for me."

"Even better," Luke muttered. He had sensed Lorelai's unenthusiastic mood as soon as she approached the counter. "You okay?"

"Me? I'm fine. Just faced with some harsh realities today. My little girl is growing up."

"She had to do it sooner or later."

"Is it wrong that I keep wishing that it was later?" Luke smirked slightly, picking up two to-go cups and filling them with his awe-inspiring blend.

"No, I guess not. I'm no better. I still see Rory as an 11-year-old." Luke passed over the to-go cups and turned around to get the pie. Lorelai was battling so many thoughts in her head that she thought she would spontaneously combust. She could talk things out with Sookie later, but Lorelai wasn't sure she would quite understand. But, for some reason that was beyond her, she thought Luke would.

"Luke, can I ask you something?" Luke turned.

"Yeah, sure." He leaned on the counter again. Lorelai took in a sharp breath.

"I just…uh, man, I feel like such a bad mother even thinking about this. Oh my God, I think I just turned into my mother!" She suddenly felt panicked. Luke gave her a reassuring expression.

"You are many things, Lorelai, but never a bad mother." Lorelai smiled. There was something great about that statement.

"It's just…" she began again, "things happened so fast for me when I was her age. I got my first kiss when I was 14, then the next year I lost my virginity. Rory and I are so much alike…I guess I can't help but be a little afraid that she is starting to notice boys." Luke placed his hand over hers lightly. In such a small gesture, so much was said. He was concerned. He was trying to reassure her. He was just…being there. "Is that wrong? I know that deep down, she won't…you know, but God, I remember what that path was like. How easy it was to get into. It starts out so innocently, then everything changes so drastically."

"Hey," Luke said finally, "It's okay that you are afraid, but don't let it cloud what you know about Rory. Yes, there are so many things similar about you two that it's scary, but there are a lot of ways that she is not like you. Rory knows what happened to you. You don't gloss over things like sex, which is part of what makes you a great mom. Rory's also a smart girl. She will take everything that you told her into consideration when this moment comes, which I hope is never." Lorelai laughed.

"I know. Gosh, she's only 13. I should not be worrying about this now. It just hit me all of a sudden. I feel dumb for bringing it up now."

"Don't feel dumb. If I had a kid, and that is a big if, I would want her to learn from my mistakes too. I'll go get your pie." He squeezed her hand and let go. Lorelai silently mulled over Luke's words as he went around collecting things in a paper sack. He was right. Rory was a smart girl. Their names may be the same, but she was not Lorelai. It did feel good to lay all her concerns on the table. Luke was a good listener and his words had a calming effect. He was just being there and it made all the difference.

The next few minutes were a blur to Lorelai. Rory and Lane came storming in. Luke handed over the to-go bag with a sympathetic smile. Lorelai promised to come back for dinner. She called and made plans with Sookie on the drive home while the girls happily chatted. Once home, Lorelai went straight upstairs to find the coveted pink skirt and her make-up collection. Rory and Lane had already dug into the Luke's sack when she came downstairs. A single to-go cup and a Styrofoam container waited for her on the table. What was strange was that the container had her name on it in compact and sloppy scrawl. Luke's handwriting.

"What's this?" she asked the girls. Rory shrugged.

"Just thought you ordered something different," she said between bites. What had she asked Luke for earlier? Something sweet…she opened up the container and found a note jotted on the top part:

Stop worrying. She'll be fine. You'll be fine. Here's something sweet-Luke

Lorelai smiled a secret smile, the meaning unknown to Rory and Lane. She grabbed a fork off the table and dug into her "sweet" brownie. If there was one thing she had learned about Luke over the past two years, it was that just when she thought she knew him well, he would turn around and surprise her. Lorelai liked that quality. She sank down into the chair next to Rory.

"Ready for Phase 2 of Operation Va Va Voom?"

Shock. No, shock was an understatement. Terror. Probably a little overkill. Something in between shock and terror. Gah, what was the word for that?

Lorelai's mind hadn't shut down since she bolted from the mob scene at Luke's. She replayed that scene over and over again as she walked home. As she entered the front door. As she sat on the couch. As she turned on the TV. Some infomercial with Chuck Norris and a weightlifting machine was on. Lorelai hadn't been paying much attention to the moving images. Her brain was on the verge of being full and overwhelmed. Luke. Luke and the talk. Luke being sweet. Luke and all his kind words. Luke being there, as always. Luke's face. Luke's blue eyes. Luke's lips. Luke leaning in… Gah! She smothered her face with the nearest pillow. What the hell were you thinking? It's Luke…Her heart was racing. Yeah, it's Luke. This is so weird. This is so unlikely. It's Valentine's Day, for goodness sakes! Good things never happen to me today. And with you almost kissing Luke! What's the deal with that? Why did it feel so right, then?

Didn't Rory say it once? You can't date Luke. I mean, it's just not possible here. You date Luke and the whole damn town knows. Then me, being me, will find a way to screw things up. We'll break up. I'll starve to death. A very tragic tale. And Luke is my friend. One of my closest friends. I couldn't do that to him. I can't do that to myself. I do care about him, after all.

Whoa, hold on a second. Let's wise up, Janet Weiss. How did my rant take me to dating Luke? I'm talking about breaking up with Luke and we haven't even gone on one date. Hell, we didn't even get a chance to kiss before we got interrupted. Man, and I think I really wanted to kiss him. You caught me! I've been a little curious about what Luke was like…No, no, stop it! You're friends. You cannot have feelings for friends. It's in the rulebook or something. You don't have feeling for Sookie. Ew, and let's not dwell on that thought ever again. As far as I know it, Luke and I are still friends, right? Gah, this is too much for me right now! My day went from, crappy to nice and right back to, well I don't even know what I'm feeling now. It's Luuuuuke! My Luke. Okay, not my Luke. Well, maybe my Luke. Jeez, Lorelai. Get a grip here!

Okay, I'd be lying to myself if I said we never had our little moments before. There was the time when I went on that double date with Sookie, and Luke and I got to talking and it seemed like he was about to ask me out…but, that's crazy. That was probably just my imagination. Or, when we were looking at paint samples for the diner, and we were hiding behind the counter, and I thought…No! That's crazy too, right? Then that same night, I called him to help me find Stella. Why did I call Luke, of all people? The day Rachel came back and the night he told me she left. The night I gave him the blue cap that he wears everyday. The chuppah and the marriage talk we had. The sleigh ride in the snow. The picnic. But, nothing, NOTHING was so…intense. Not like this. I can't even wrap my mind around this.

She continued to stare at Chuck without processing what she was looking at. She couldn't even mock. He was doing a lifting competition with a much younger and better toned guy. Gotta be staged; Chuck's getting up in years. Luke. She couldn't stop thinking about him and their talk and the almost kiss and the interruption. She couldn't get his face out of her head. The expression he wore as she walked out the door. Disappointment, mixed with desire, mixed with…God knows what.

Do I like Luke? Well, I mean, of course I like Luke. He's my friend, I already said I cared about him. But, liiiiiiike Luke? He's been my friend so long. Could we cross that line? Do I even want to cross that line? Maybe. It's not that Luke isn't a great guy. He is. I'm lucky that he has always looked out for Rory and I. He cooks for me. He pours the happy coffee. He fixes stuff around the house. He listens to me rant when I'm stressed out. He deals with my silly moods. He is one of the few people that can keep up with my comments and even shoot back a few of his own. He does incredibly sweet things when I least expect them. He's definitely nice to look at. Man, why have I not seen him in this light before? Luke is…well, Luke is great. God, he's great. Great like the Great Zambini. Maybe even better. Wow, it's Luke! Maybe Sookie was right. Maybe the rest of the town was right. God, maybe my mother was right. I have feeling for Luke! Oh, my God…

DING DONG

Lorelai absently got up off the couch and went to her front door. She was still reeling from her new revelation. She wasn't even thinking about who could be on the other side.

Lorelai's jaw about dropped to the ground when she opened the door. Luke? She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Luke stood there in front of her, head slightly bent, avoiding locking eyes. His hands fell loosely to his sides, but there was something gripped in his right. She looked down. The fuchsia rose. The one Patty handed to him when they were interrupted. His hand was holding on to it so tight that his knuckles were white. He looked nervous. He was kinda cute when he looked uncomfortable.

"Luke?" she finally managed to orate. It was so soft that it was practically a whisper. Luke slowly looked up and met her gaze. She saw many things in his face that were a mystery to her, but at the same time, it was familiar. Strange. How weird does that sound? Maybe she had ignored that expression before. Now that she felt something for him, maybe she knew what it meant now. "I-" she began, but stopped when Luke said:

"Did-" Lorelai laughed nervously. She could feel her heart speed up in her chest. Was Luke always this hot?

"Go ahead," she offered, since she really didn't know what she was going to say before she was interrupted. Lorelai found herself subconsciously looking at Luke's lips, but quickly averted her eyes so she could hear what he had to say. She was finding it hard to concentrate for some odd reason. It could be the fact that she just realized that maybe she had feelings for a certain man in flannel. Luke cleared his throat. When his voice came out, it was gruff and hoarse, sounding very sexy to Lorelai right then.

"Did you mean it?" he asked, slowly bringing out the words. Confused, she looked down at the rose in his hand. The poor flower still had a death grip. This was probably the most nervous she had ever seen Luke. She looked back up at him then, not really having a clue of what he was talking about.

"Mean what?" Lorelai asked softly. Her heart was thumping wildly against her rib cage. What is going on in his head? Heck, what's going on in my head?

"At the diner…about wanting the same thing he has…what you said about me…did you mean it?" Luke was being very cryptic, but Lorelai knew where he was going. All that talk about relationships. Her confession that maybe she was jealous of Christopher because she wanted that man who could make her a better person. Her gushing about all of Luke's good qualities. Was Luke trying to feel her out? Was he trying to ask her out? Lorelai sucked in a breath. Sookie's words from what seemed like long ago loomed in her head, "Luke is a very good man…" Yeah, that she knew. Maybe Lorelai could make things work if she was with the right person. Maybe Luke was that right person. Yes, she definitely meant every word she said at the diner.

"Yes," she simply stated. Luke was avoiding her gaze again. He nodded with understanding. He looked directly into her eyes. It was that same look he gave her as she backed out of the diner. Her belly churned in excitement. In good excitement. Luke opened his mouth to say more.

"We-were you going to kiss me?" he managed out. Lorelai smirked. No sense in lying…

"Yes," she said once again. Like before, Luke nodded, but this time held her gaze.

"Okay," he stated, and before Lorelai was even aware of what was happening, Luke had stepped forward into her doorway, immediately pulling her close to him and pressing his lips against hers. She let out a moan of surprise before feeling herself melt into his embrace. Completely encircled in Luke's arms, she knew exactly how to react. Her hand found its way to the back of Luke's neck as the kiss deepened. It wasn't at all strange, like she assumed kissing a friend might be. It was completely natural, unlike any of the awkward first kisses Lorelai had with other men. But, at that moment, her mind was a blank. All she could comprehend was that she was kissing Luke, and it felt right.

At the moment, it didn't matter that they had a lot to talk about still. Frankly, they could only focus on each other. Lorelai managed to kick the door closed without breaking contact. Luke groaned in agreement with her quick thinking and pulled her closer. No sense in having the eyes of Stars Hollow on them right then. Luke's competent hands moved over and pressed into her back, attempting to memorize every curve. Lorelai seemed to be fascinated with his face, hands brushing the 5 o'clock shadow on his chin and cheeks, trying not to laugh when Luke's hands made contact with the ticklish spots on her sides.

Slowly, reluctantly, they pulled apart, both breathing heavy. Luke didn't release her. Lorelai didn't want to let go. They stayed as close as possible without kissing. Luke moved a stray lock to rest behind her ear and kissed her forehead. Lorelai shivered at the intimacy that Luke possessed. She had never seen this side of him before and she liked it. She certainly was getting a lot of that tonight. She wanted to see more of it. He tilted up her chin so he could look into her eyes. He desperately wanted to know what she was thinking. Luke cleared his throat.

"Based on your response, I'm guessing that was the right move." Lorelai laughed.

"Yeah, definitely no complaints here." Luke smiled and nodded. Lorelai decided that she liked it when he smiled.

"Just so you know, I didn't plan on kissing you when I got here."

"Well, it definitely wasn't what I was expecting."

"Sorry I kinda jumped on you with no warning."

"Oh, don't apologize. I liked the 'shock and awe' tactic. It seems very patriotic." Luke chuckled and kissed her forehead again. He released her and stood in front of her, crossing his arms at his chest.

"I want to make sure I am being clear here."

"Well, that was either an 'I want to be more than friends,' kiss or we have some serious issues to discuss."

"I've never been good at this sort of thing," Luke stated seriously," but, hell, I'm just going to say it. I want you to know that I plan on pursuing a relationship with you, which is something I have been thinking about for awhile. And, based on what you said tonight and how you reacted just now, I am hoping you want the same thing." For how nervous Luke was mere moments before, this sudden burst of confidence surprised Lorelai. He wanted to date her. He had been thinking about this for awhile.

"So, do I get a choice in the matter," she joked.

"Yes," Luke stated, still very serious.

"If you have been thinking about this for awhile," she posed, "what took you so long?" Luke's expression mirrored that of relief. He let out some air.

"It's always been you, Lorelai," he said, stepping closer, reaching out to touch her arm, "and I thought I had no chance in hell."

"You are too hard on yourself," she said quietly, her hand making its way to his chin as she slowly pressed her lips to his. This action fit like a glove. They reverted back to their patterns from moments before. The official second kiss was comfortable like an old pair of jeans, but had just the right amount of suspence and passion. After a long moment Luke broke apart.

"I have to go," he whispered.

"What?"

"I have to go. Kirk showed up before I made the decision to come over here and I left him alone in the diner."

"So, you want to make sure the place hasn't burn down."

"Exactly."

"Is it weird that I don't want you to go?"

"No," Luke said, finally letting her go, "I don't want to leave. We kissed." Luke stated with a smug grin and Lorelai shyly looked down.

"Yeah…But, you probably should go," Lorelai said reluctantly.

"Yeah," Luke nodded as he began to walk toward the door.

"Luke?" He turned around to face her again. "Can-Will we talk later?" Luke smiled and nodded.

"I'll call you after Kirk leaves." This thought sent excitement through Lorelai's limbs. She just kissed Luke! Twice! She liked kissing Luke! He was going to call her later! Lorelai felt like a teenager with a grin so big that her cheeks were starting to hurt. She couldn't help it. Lorelai now knew she was smitten. Luke opened the door and Lorelai began to follow him out. He stopped at the threshold and bent over to pick something up. She had to resist the urge to pinch his butt. Was it just today that she was making joking comments about Miss Patty and his ass? It seemed like a long time ago now. So much had happened.

When Luke got up, he held out the abandoned rose that he picked up off the ground. Lorelai took it from him.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

"I thought you thought Valentine's Day was too cliché."

"I may live to eat my words, but that doesn't seem like such a bad thing now." Lorelai brought the rose to her nose and breathed in the fragrance.

"No, it doesn't." Luke leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips.

"I will talk to you soon," he promised.

"Sounds good. Bye," she said as she followed him to the porch.

"Bye Lorelai." Lorelai couldn't stop smiling as she watched Luke walk away. Finally, she was able to bring herself to go back inside. Acting like a teenager again, she leaned against the front door after she shut it, letting out a quiet, suppressed squeal. This could work!

Rory walked in the door at about eleven, after receiving a nice Valentine's kiss from her special someone. It had been a nice date overall, but all Rory could focus on at that moment was taking off her heels and seeing how the rest of her mother's night went.

"Mom, you up?" Rory called out from the entryway.

"Hey hon, you're home!" Lorelai called out excitedly.

"Well, you certainly sound better."

"It's been an eventful night." Rory walked into the living room and leaned a hand on the couch to manipulate the strap on her heel. Lorelai shifted from her position on the couch to face her daughter, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"What?"

"Nothing…well something," Lorelai toyed.

"You are wearing your slutty smile."

"No, it's just a variation of the slutty smile. But, it's definitely good."

"Soooo, tell me." Lorelai paused for a minute.

"Nah, it's more fun this way."

"Okay then," Well, two can play at this game, Rory thought, walking in the direction of her room. She was surprised to hear her mother get off the couch and follow her into her room. Rory sat on her bed, while Lorelai took a seat at her chair, still all smiles.

"You look like you have a hanger in your mouth." Lorelai blushed a bit, "What's going on?"

"Okay," Lorelai sucked in a breath to contain her excitement, "Okay…I think I'm dating Luke."

"You…what?" Rory said, practically speechless. Her mouth was wide open and she was staring right at Lorelai, definitely not hiding the shock from her face. Lorelai thought she resembled a cod fish.

"Actually, it's a definite possibility," Lorelai joined Rory on the bed, closing her daughter's mouth with her index finger. Then, mother and daughter shared a pillow as Lorelai told the entire story, talking, laughing, and smiling into the wee hours of the morning. Maybe Lorelai wouldn't need her black spinster wear anymore.

The End

A/N: So, how was it? Did it suck? Was it okay? Was it good? Was great? Was it fabulous? Was it mondo-fabulous? Alright, I'll stop. Apparently it's a never ending cycle. I'm anxious to hear what you all have to say, so please review! Even if it's just to ramble or tell me a joke or an anecdote. Anyone have a favorite quote or moment from this story? I'd love to hear it.

Thank you all for reading. I hope it has been fun for you. It was certainly fun for me to write. Once again, I love you all and I hope to see you all in my next story! Or, hey, Too Late Baby? is still a work in progress. I'm working on the next chapter and hope to have it up soon. It's going to be intense, let me tell you.