Fades to Black

Chapter 11: The Perfect Dress

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or the characters; they belong to the wonderful creators of Gilmore Girls.

Summary: My version of what happens after the screen fades to black…

A/N: Yay, hiatus is over! Anyone want to join me in the wave?

After 10 weeks, this story is back. Wahoo.

And now… here we go…

Luke paced around the living room for what seemed like much longer than the five minutes it read on his watch. Lorelai returned downstairs and pulled him beside her on the couch. Before he could say a word, she grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Hi." She said, seductively after the kiss ended.

"Hi." He replied.

She sat back on the couch, and put her feet on his lap. He rubbed her legs, and she smiled at him. "So… how much did you miss me?" She grinned.

He laughed a little, and nodded. "It was pretty quiet around here."

"You know you missed me." She told him.

He stared for a moment, and then gave in. "Yeah, I missed you."

She smiled at him. "I missed you, too."

They gazed at each other for a few seconds, having one of those ever so familiar moments, that Luke once ranted about on the porch of the Dragonfly. But then, just as Kirk had done probably more than once, Paul Anka barked and ran over to the couple, ruining their moment.

"Hey boy." Lorelai said, as she scratched his head. She turned back to Luke and pouted. "He likes Rory better."

Luke laughed and watched as Lorelai threw a ball for Paul Anka, which he refused to go get. He watched as Lorelai talked to the dog and made jokes that only she understood. He knew he had to tell her. He had waited 2 months, and he still hadn't told her. He had to. He knew he had to. Just… not yet

Lorelai looked up at Luke, after realizing he had been silent for a while. "Hey?" She said, with question.

"Hey." He said, jumping out of his trance.

"You OK?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He said.

"O-K." She said, stretching out the word. She turned to look at Paul Anka, and scratch his ear one last time, before leaning back on the couch and returning her focus on Luke.

"So… You really liked the dress?" She asked, as if she needed one last reassurance, or maybe just some small talk.

"It's perfect." He said for the billionth time that night.

She nodded, and smiled, looking around the room for a moment, and then coming back to reality. "Hey!" She said. "You forgot your t-shirt at the diner the other day."

"Oh, really?" He asked, sarcastically. Of course he knew that, it had been on purpose.

"Yeah, it must have just slipped your mind… you know, because you were too busy thinking about all the coffee you have to make me to make up for the long two days I was without it."

"Oh, yeah, that must have been it." He said, playing along.

"Luckily!" She said, standing up. "I brought it home for you!" She said, going towards the hall closet, and grabbing it out of a paper bag.

"It must be my lucky day." He told her.

"Must be." She said, throwing it to him, and then returning to her place on the couch, swinging her legs back on to her lap. "Put it on." She said.

He sighed, knowing he might as well give in now, because he wasn't going to win. He took his flannel shirt off, she whistled mockingly, and he rolled her eyes at her. He slipped the t-shirt on and sighed. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic." She said, leaning in for a kiss.

"Good." He said, leaning against the couch. "So… how's Rory doing?" He asked.

"Uh, good… she has to see a therapist." Lorelai said, uneasily.

"What? Why?"

"Well… it's mandatory, you know, for people who drop out and come back, to go see the therapist guy…to make sure they're stable or something. But, Rory went there after… seeing Logan, and he… told her he loved her, so she was kind of upset, and she sort of had a meltdown… and you know, used their entire tissue supply, so basically… they want her to see the guy every week for the next two months." Lorelai explained.

"He told her he loved her?" Luke asked.

"Yeah."

"So… do you think she'll-"

"I don't know." Lorelai shrugged.

"Well, what do you-"

"I don't know."

"Right." Luke nodded.

"I just- I mean, I just got her back, you know? I don't want to fight… not ever again… and not about Logan. I mean, it's her decision, right? And you know, everybody makes mistakes… sometimes you chose the wrong guy, but in the end, she'll find the right one, right?" Lorelai said.

"Yeah." Luke said, comfortingly. "She will. She'll be fine."

Lorelai nodded, and changed her position on the couch, so they were both lying beside each other, with Luke's arm around her, and her leg over his.

"Hey?" Luke said.

"Mhm?"

"Did Rory ever read Deenie?" He asked, hoping he got the title right.

"Deenie? Of course. Rory has read every Judy Bloom book on earth" Lorelai said. "Deenie. It's the heart-warming story about a young girl and her mother, who doesn't want her daughter's beauty to go to waste. She wants her to be a model, and makes her try out for cheerleading… all of that. But, during cheerleading try-outs, the coach notices her crocked posture and sends her to the doctor. She's forced to wear a brace for the next four years… She's horrified, but the brace does allow her to make some certain discoveries… She begins to see all of the handicapped students in her school, and allows herself to become friends with them… and also she finds a beautiful new romance, and is amazed when the boy does not care about the brace and-" Lorelai says, in a mocking story teller voice.

"Jeez, I wasn't asking for story time." He told her.

She laughed at him. "Why'd you ask?" She wondered.

"Oh, I um, just heard about it a lot today… I don't know, I was just wondering." He said.

"OK." She said. She draped her arm around his chest, and felt the fabric of his shirt. "Mmm… soft." She mumbled.

He rolled his eyes at her. He'd burn it later, anyway. He could blame it on the dog. She'd never know.

"Hey, did you try the duck sausage?" Lorelai asked.

"What?

"The duck sausage? I gave it to you last night, but I forgot to ask what you thought." Lorelai said.

"Oh, it was good." He told her.

"Really?" She asked, a huge grin starting to appear in her face.

"Yeah, why?" He asked.

She grinned. "This really is fate."

Rory closed the door to her room, and sat down on her bed. She still had boxes all over her room, but she could unpack tomorrow. She lied down, and shut her eyes, listening to the sounds outside. Paris and Doyle were still practicing their self defense.

And then, her phone rang.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Guess what I just did." Lane said.

"Oh, hey Lane." Rory said, sitting up.

"I just drank a shot with Mrs. Kim." She said.

"You, what?" Rory asked.

"I just drank a shot with my mother." She repeated.

"Whoa."

"Yeah." Lane said.

"Seriously?" Rory asked.

"Yup. She closed all the shades, and pushed things in front of the window, and then we sat at the kitchen table, and we drank a shot." Lane explained.

"Whoa." Rory said again.

"I know." Lane said. "So, how's the new apartment?"

"Well… It takes me 10 minutes to open the door, Paris and Doyle do self defense all day, I have a dog named Bloodhound, and all I have to look forward to is developing ghetto ear." Rory explained. "But, I'm going back to Yale… and even though I can't go to the coffee cart, and I have to go to therapy… I'm still out of the pool house, talking to my Mom, and I'm going back to Yale."

"So, you're good?" Lane asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." Rory smiled.

"Want some tea?" Lorelai asked, as she filled the kettle with water.

"Sure." He said, sitting down at the kitchen table. It was then that he glanced over at the clock. 8:10. Crap. He had to call April. He glanced over at Lorelai who was pouring tea into a mug for him.

"Hey, um… I just have to go to the diner for a couple minutes, I uh, I forgot I had some stuff to do." Luke said, awkwardly as he started to stand up.

She looked over to him, and looked at him strangely. "What?" She asked.

"Oh, um… just, just a thing. It'll only take me 10 minutes… but, you know, I have to walk over there, and then walk back… so, I'll be back in a half hour, OK?" He asked, already halfway towards the door.

"Uh… OK?" She said, completely confused.

"Bye." He said, returning to her and giving her a kiss, then practically sprinting out the door.

Lorelai looked down at the tea, in Luke's mug. It was blue and had a baseball on it. She got it for him a few weeks ago. She thought it was manly, and he'd like it, since he always complained about the 'girly' mugs she had.

She shrugged, and poured it down the sink. Just then, Paul Anka came in the room, the jingle of his collar, filling the air.

"Hey boy." She smiled.

He barked at her, and wagged his tall.

She glanced over at the bowl of sugar, sitting on the counter, and then back at the dog. She took off her sock, and turned on the sink. She cupped her hands and let the water fill inside. Then, she got her toe wet, and opened the sugar container. She took a spoon, and dipped it into the sugar. Then, she coated her toe in the sugar, and put it on the floor.

Paul Anka ran over to her and began licking all the sugar off of her toe. She giggled, because it tickled.

"You totally like me better." She told him, laughing.

So… How'd you guys like the episode?

I thought it was pretty great. I loved the teaser. I missed all of those Lorelai and Rory at the diner scenes from the beginning of the season. GG isn't the same without them. The Luke and Lorelai scenes were better, too.

The Logan saying I love you, was a little lame. He should have… I don't know, said it with more meaning or something. I don't know, I just didn't really like that. Also, the breakdown in the therapist's office was sort of weird… But the coffee thing was funny. "I really, really like coffee." Of course, that's all she's worried about.

Sookie is the BFOFTB. Kirk wants Luke. But, who doesn't?

I liked the Anna/Luke stuff. I thought it was nice. She thought about him when the Red Sox won. It was a big day for a lot of us, lol. I think they'll just be friends… like the way Chris and Lorelai would be friends if Chris wasn't such an ass hole and didn't try and get back with her, after she finally stopped waiting for him. I think it'll be nice. But hey, maybe it won't… I don't know.

Luke looking at the website was sweet. I really want to see where all this April stuff is going, and how Luke will react… He'll probably be all fatherly and stuff. But yeah, I can't wait to see the Lorelai/April relationship and also the Rory/April stuff. That'll be interesting.

I'm glad Rory could calm Lorelai down during her freak out about how she's not freaking out… Leave it to Lorelai, right?

And dude, Lorelai was definitely wearing a Luke coat when she was with Rory in her apartment. It was green and looked like his… but it probably wasn't his. Next thing you know, they'll be wearing matching jogging suits and everything. Lol. I don't know, just something I noticed.

And Lane's not wearing her glasses anymore. Aw… I bet her and Zach get back together.

Then, the last scene… with Luke and Lorelai and the dress. I thought that was really sweet. I loved that.

And, the snow never lies.

Alright, sooooo you know you want to review.

Please?