A/N: Thanks to Rorybabe for reading this through for me and for giving me an encouraging push in the right direction. Thanks.

By the time Lorelai rushed over to the diner, Luke had disappeared. He went upstairs for a moment, came back down, told Jess to watch the diner, and then disappeared again.

"Where's Luke?" Lorelai asked. "Upstairs?"

"We don't know," Rory replied. "He left."

"Left? Luke doesn't leave. Where did he go?" Lorelai asked.

"Don't know," Jess grumbled. "I've got to go."

"Go where?" Rory asked. "We have to talk about this."

"I have to go kill Taylor," Jess declared. "He's only pulling this shit because he wants to expand the soda shop."

"You don't know that Jess," Lorelai soothed. "Taylor and Luke have been at odds for years. Luke usually intimidated the hell out of him. Taylor's probably just trying to scare him."

"Well, he did a good job of it!" Jess snapped banging his hand on the arms of his chair.

"Jess!" Rory scolded. "Calm down. You shouldn't upset yourself. Let's just sit down and talk about this."

Lorelai sat down next to Rory and Jess. "What did Luke say when he told you about the lawsuit?"

"He didn't tell us about the law suit. Kirk did," Rory replied.

"Okay, what did he say when he told you about firing Lane and Caesar?" Lorelai asked.

"He didn't tell us that either. We over heard that," Jess grumbled, shifting in his chair. "Then he left."

Lorelai sighed. This was not good. Luke was typically silent but he never ran away. He just got moody. Lorelai was very worried about him. She'd have to go and look for him.

"Well, he probably just needs some time," Lorelai comforted. "Especially with the cash flow problems he's been having."

"What cash flow problems?" Jess asked.

"Well the hospital bills…" Lorelai began.

"Mom!" Rory scolded.

"No," Jess said. "Let her talk. I know those bills were a lot of money, but the diner is…"

Lorelai shook her head. "Jess, the diner's business has fallen off a lot since your accident."

Jess was confused. "Why? Luke was opened wasn't he?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "But Taylor…" Lorelai stopped. Jess didn't need the added guilt of Taylor's vicious rumors, so she asked, "Jess, why doesn't matter?"

"Of course it matters!" Jess shouted. "People in this town hate me. That's no secret. What they don't want Luke paying for my case with their money. Is that it?"

Lorelai studied the table unable to admit the truth to Jess. Even though he all ready knew it. "No.," she said. "It's just…"

"Look Lorelai, I know I don't really do anything to endear myself to Stars Hollow, but Luke always did everything for this town," Jess declared, clearly upset.

"I know." Rory comforted moving to put her arms around Jess.

"It's not fair," Jess murmured.

"I know," Rory replied smoothing his hair off his brow.

"I want to go home," he whispered against her shoulder. "Take me home."

"You have therapy…" Rory started to remind him.

"I want to go back to the Inn. My back hurts," Jess snapped.

"All right," Rory agreed. "Let's go home."

Jess made no move to move his chair himself so Rory did it for him. It was obvious Jess was upset and depressed, he slumped in his seat and studied his lap. He looked like he did in the hospital before he was moved to St. Barbara's.

Lorelai didn't worry about Jess though. Rory would take care of him. It was Luke she was worried about.

"Where would Luke go?" Lorelai asked herself. "Where did he always go when he was hiding? When he was sad? "That's it!" Lorelai exclaimed and left the diner unattended as she headed for home.

Rory took Jess home and helped him lie down. His back was in a full fledged spasm by the time he got home so once he was lying down Rory massaged the area for him, humming softly until the pain subsided.

"I don't know what I'd do without you here," Jess mumbled. "You take the pain away just by being here." He pulled her down for a kiss.

"Jess, if you're feeling better we should try and make it to therapy," Rory suggested.

Jess kissed her again. "Reschedule."

"All right," Rory agreed. "If you want to but you can't give up Jess. You have to keep going," Rory told him.

"I know, but the therapy costs money, Honey," Jess replied.

"We'll find a way, Jess," Rory comforted. "Maybe I can talk to my grandparents…"

"No," Jess sighed. "I don't want you to worry this. Okay?"

"But…"

"No buts." He puts a finger to her lips. "I'll figure it out."

"Okay," Rory replied and laid down beside Jess. "Back better?"

"Yeah," Jess replied. "Can I hold you?" he whispered against her hair.

"Always," Rory whispered laying her head against Jess. He wrapped his arms around her.

"They lay together for awhile before Jess posed a question that had been on his mind for awhile.

"Rory, what are we going to do about Yale?" Jess asked.

"What do you mean? Yale's a long time off yet," she replied.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to that school, and it is in New Haven… It's not far, but still, it's not Stars Hollow," Jess sighed.

It was Rory's turn to shush him. "Jess, listen to me. When we first dated I was focused on Chilton and my future. Now after a year at Yale and almost losing you, I know what's really important in my life. I've been thinking about this too, and I"ve decided you need me more than I need Yale so…"

"Rory, no!" Jess stopped her mid-sentence. "You are not going to give up Yale because of me. No way."

"Jess, it's not because of you, it's for you," Rory twisted.

"Don't twist words. You need Yale to become who you want to be," Jess told her.

"No, I need college to be who I want to be. Not Yale," Rory corrected.

"But you've dreamt of college. For some reason you chose Yale, but it's the Ivy League," Jess declared, pushing himself up on the bed.

"Jess, the Ivy League, Yale, Harvard, those are all superficial things. You and me…that is so much more, so much bigger."

Rory wanted to explain this to Jess. She could see herself with him now. She could see herself at his side, being his wife, having his children…She could never see that part of herself before Jess, no, before Jess' accident. Jess didn't respond to her last comment, she knew what he was thinking all ready but she continued, "I've always been expected to do the Ivy League thing, Jess. I'm not sure it's ever what I really wanted."

Jess rolled his eyes at the excuses she was making. "Rory, you forget who you're talking too. This is me. I know you. You don't think I do, but I do. I know your causes and more causes…and that's what I've become to you. That's why I'm suddenly so attractive when a couple of months ago, when I the rebel you couldn't stand me because you knew you couldn't change me. Now, I come ready changed," he gestured to his legs.

Jess knew he was being mean. He had to be mean. He had to get her to leave him and go on with her college career. If she got closer to him, if he let her get closer to him, it would be too hard in September when she went back to school. If she didn't go back, if she stayed in Stars Hollow with him, eventually she'd resent him for it and that would kill him.

"Jess, not again, okay with this," she said, rolling off the bed and walking back and forth in front of the bed. "I can't help that way that I feel. I can't fix the mistake that I made when I sent you away, but I can atone for it and I want…"

"So that's what this is. The atonement of Rory Gilmore. I knew I'd figure it out eventually," Jess growled.

"Jess," she protested. "That's not what this is. This is just…I…you mean more to me than Yale or anything else does."

"You're a bad liar, Rory," Jess claimed. "You know Yale is important to you."

"It is," she replied. "But Yale doesn't need me. You need me," Rory told him.

"I don't need you. I have Luke," Jess snapped.

Rory didn't know how to respond to that. Part of her realized what Jess was doing, but more of her ached for the sweet Jess that was there just a moment ago and hurt for the terrible accusations he was making.

"Jess," she tried to reach out.

"Leave me alone, Rory! You and I both know that this is not about…once the novelty wears off…"

Rory exploded with anger and cut him off. "Why do you have to say that?! Why do you keep saying that? You know that's not true."

"It is true," Jess shouted back, biting his lip against a pain in his back. He wouldn't show it to her.

Rory felt like he had slapped her. If he really believed that, she wanted to cry. Instead, she stood her ground, and fought to keep her face from crumbling. With a deep breath and squared shoulders she said, "If you really believe that, Jess Mariano, then you don't know me at all."

With that statement, she turned away from him, grabbed her purse and slammed the door. Only with the finality of that slam, did Rory let her tears fall. Only with the finality of that slam did Jess let out a moan of pain, that for the first time since the accident was just as much emotional as it was physical.

Meanwhile, Lorelai arrived at her house and sure enough Luke was there on her front porch. He was sitting on the front stoop elbows on knees, head in hands.

"There you are. Jess and Rory were worried about you," Lorelai said sitting next to Luke on the step.

"Yeah, well it ain't rocket science where I went," Luke grumbled. "I'm not a mysterious man."

"No," Lorelai sighed. "No, you're not."

"When something's on my mind I run. I visit my Dad, and then I come here. Even when I'm not speaking to you," Luke marveled and lifted his face out of his hands.

"You want to talk about it. Jess told me a little bit but…" she trailed off.

"Jess doesn't know that half of it. That kid doesn't have the first damn clue," Luke groaned. "I'm broke, Lorelai. I'm almost completely out of money."

"Luke…"

"The medical policy only covered the initial ER bill. All the doctors, the therapist, both hospital stays…"

Lorelai held up her hand to stop the oncoming rant. "I get it, Luke. I do. What are you going to do? Can you get a loan? Mortgage the diner?'

Luke shook his head.

"Now's not the time to be stubborn, Luke," Lorelai scolded.

"I'm not being stubborn, Lorelai. I all ready mortgaged the diner. It's the only thing I had," Luke told her.

Lorelai sat stunned. "I don't know what to do to help you," she finally said.

"There's nothing to do, Lor. When the loan comes due and I can't pay it I'll lose the diner. I'll lose the business my father sweated over that his father opened," Luke shook his head.

"There's got to be something. You've always been so frugal with money," Lorelai reasoned.

"The bills Lorelai. They exceeded a quarter of million dollars. Because Jess isn't my kid and Liz doesn't have any policy…" Luke stopped and shook his head.

"I don't…" Lorelai began.

"Now this stupid thing with Taylor…" Luke sighed, tears beginning to burn his eyes. "I'm going to lose everything, Lorelai."

Lorelai heard the desperation in his voice. She saw the tears and pain in his eyes. This was Luke, strong reliable Luke who never cracked, never faltered and never failed to unconditionally provide support, love, and security, whatever she needed. That's what he needed now. Lorelai couldn't fail him.

She opened her arms and welcomed him into them allowing him to bury his cheek against her breast. Gently Lorelai ran her fingers through the soft hair on Luke's head, hair she seldom saw because of his cap. Lorelai held Luke's body so close she could feel every breath, every shudder. It wasn't a sob, more like a tremble. Luke wasn't sad, he was afraid and he was, for the first time trusting her with his nakedness.

Lorelai wasn't sure how long they stayed on that porch holding on to each other. Occasionally she'd whisper that everything was all right or that she was there for him. Finally, the tremble stopped and Lorelai's hold lessened. Luke pulled himself up into the sitting position and looked at Lorelai's face. He expected sympathy, pity even, but he never expected the pure naked love that he saw there.

Their eyes locked and held their gazed saying more than their voices ever could. Someone had to move, close the distance, and break the spell. Luke finally did that. He raised his hand to touch the soft white silk that was Lorelai's cheek. He threaded his fingers into the softness of her hair and pulled her lips closer to his finally slipping his bottom lip in between her full lips.

With infinite almost painful gentleness Luke caressed her lips with his. They were the ultimate in opposites, his hard to her soft, his bitter to her sweet, his push to her shove. It was perfection that kiss. It was perfection in light of terrible harsh truth, yet it promised nothing but hope. In that one kiss, years of feelings were shared, years of wounds healed, and years of questions were answered. That kiss marked a beginning as surely as that door slamming shut between Rory and Jess marked an end.