Author's Note: Thank you to those of you who left feedback. I really appreciate it. I know that I always say that, but I do mean it.

Thanks also to my wonderful beta xphilehb!

Thanksgiving afternoon, the girls arrived at the diner for Luke's dinner. Already, the diner was filled with other patrons, who were enjoying their dinners. Lorelai waved at her neighbors Babbette and Morey before making her way to the counter where Luke was busy preparing more plates. "Hey," she greeted him.

He looked up and smiled at her. "Hi." Seeing Rory behind her, he added, "Hey Rory."

"Hi Luke," she replied.

"I saved you two a table right over there." He pointed to the only empty table in the diner. Rory took a seat, but Lorelai remained standing in front of him. "What? I'm not going to let you eat standing up." She gave him an innocent smile, bringing a bouquet of flowers into view. "What are those for?"

"These are for you, to say thanks for inviting us here." She handed the flowers to him.

He gave her an odd look. "What am I supposed to do with them?"

"One usually puts them in a vase."

"I don't have a vase."

"Who doesn't have a vase?" she asked.

"Me apparently."

"Why don't you have one?"

"Because I never needed one," he told her sharply. "Will you quit bugging me about the damn vase?" Seeing a look of disappointment momentarily cross her face, he instantly regretted his harsh tone. He pulled out an empty water pitcher and placed the flowers in it. "Thanks for the flowers," he said sincerely, giving her a small smile and hoping that she'd return it.

She did. "You're welcome," she replied softly.

"Take a seat, and I will get you your dinners."

Lorelai did as she was told, joining Rory at their table.

"I told you that he wouldn't want flowers," Rory told her mother.

Lorelai shrugged. "I was just trying to be nice. And I had to buy some for your grandmother anyway after you kept reminding me that we always bring her flowers on holidays."

Luke arrived with their plates. "Here, you go. There's plenty of food if you want more," he stated. "But keep in mind that you should save room for dessert."

"Hold on," Lorelai said. "Do my ears deceive me, or did Luke "That Stuff Will Kill You" Danes just advocate the eating of dessert! I need to get this on tape for future record!"

Luke tolled his eyes at her. "Well, don't tell anyone, but even I like a little pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving."

"Oh! There's pie!" she asked excitedly.

"There's pie." He laughed as Lorelai squealed with delight. "Dig in," he said before walking away.

Rory began to eat, but Lorelai's gaze remained on Luke. She watched him walk back to the counter where one more plate was waiting. He took a seat and started to eat. Alone. "I'll be right back," Lorelai informed her daughter, who simply nodded at her as her mouth was too full to do much else. She walked up to the counter and leaned against it next to Luke.

He stopped eating and turned to face her. "You cannot be done with your first plate already."

"Don't underestimate a Gilmore girl," she said with a laugh. "What are you doing here?"

He motioned to his plate. "What do you think I'm doing? I was trying to eat," he said matter-of-factly.

"No, I mean, what are you doing eating here? I thought that when you invited us here for dinner, we'd be having dinner with you. You know, all of us eating at the same table." She held out her hand to him. "So, are you coming?"

He stared at the hand she offered him a few moments before slipping his own hand into her grasp. She grinned at him, and he felt himself grinning back. Grabbing his plate with his free hand, he allowed Lorelai to lead him back to her table amidst whispering from the neighboring tables.

Lorelai returned to her seat. "That's better," she said as Luke sat beside her.

Lorelai spent the entire dinner talking with such animation that Luke found himself wondering how she managed to eat as much as she did. She was hardly quiet for a moment. Rory would add in a quip or two every so often, and he would talk when Lorelai forced something out of him, but mostly, it was Lorelai who kept the conversation going.

Normally Luke would find that kind of constant chatter from one person downright annoying, but for some reason with Lorelai, he found it rather charming. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she could find enjoyment in anything. She was always so excited, so alive. More alive than he himself had ever been anyway, Luke thought, and he was sure that if anyone had a reason to hate life, it was Lorelai Gilmore. She constantly brought a smile to his face, which was a feat very few people could accomplish. He had to admit, this was shaping up to be one of the best holidays in a long time.

During his second plate, and the girls' fourth plate (Or was it five? He had lost track.), Rory looked at her watch and announced that she had to be going and stood up to leave.

"But you haven't even had pie yet!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"If I don't leave now, I'll be late to grandma's dinner." She leaned over and gave her mother a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you later, Mom. Thanks for the dinner, Luke. It was delicious," Rory told him. Waving goodbye, she left the diner.

"Drive carefully," Lorelai shouted after Rory, doubting that Rory heard her before the diner door closed. She suddenly felt very sad. Her daughter had just left her alone on Thanksgiving. She had spent the whole dinner hoping that Rory would change her mind and decide not to go. Now that Rory had actually left, her high spirits were quickly crashing down. She felt Luke touch her shoulder gently. She looked over at him. He seemed to sense the downturn in her mood.

"I have two kinds of pie. Pumpkin and cherry. What'll it be?" he inquired. "Both," he answered for her.

She laughed. Maybe she wasn't alone after all.

Luke and Lorelai were sitting in an empty diner when Rory returned. They were both laughing about something. Rory watched her mother through the window. Lorelai looked so happy. Rory hadn't seen her mother laugh like that in a long time, and she felt slightly guilty for not being completely happy herself at seeing her mother that way. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the diner. "Hey," she greeted them.

Lorelai smiled at her daughter. "Hey, kid! How was dinner with Mussolini?" she asked, causing Luke to chuckle. Lorelai gave him a playful shove.

'She must have been telling him Emily stories,' Rory thought to herself. "It went well. Both grandma and grandpa were disappointed that you didn't come."

"I'm sure they'll live," Lorelai snorted. "Ready to go home?" Rory gave her a nod. "I'll see you tomorrow," Lorelai told Luke, giving him a bright smile as she and Rory left the diner.

They were walking in silence when Lorelai noticed that Rory had abruptly stopped. "What is it, babe?" Lorelai questioned, turning around and facing her daughter.

"I know that you tell me everything, but I can understand why you wouldn't have told me if something happened," Rory started.

"If what happened?"

"Something between you and Luke," Rory finished. Her mother seemed surprised. "I see the way you look at him. You go to the diner all the time."

"He gives me coffee. And I work there."

"Mom!" Rory cried, aggravated.

"Nothing's happened, Rory. He's my friend. That's all."

"You don't have to lie to me. I'd understand," she assured her mother. "I know about Sherry," she added quietly.

Now, Lorelai was even more surprised. "How did you...?" Lorelai trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"I know that Dad cheated on you with her. That's why you got divorced."

Lorelai shook her head. "Rory, it was more than just that. We had problems long before Sherry. Your father and I tried to make it work for sixteen years, but we just weren't happy together. And when I found out about Sherry, it was the last straw."

"Was she the first?" Rory let the question slip from her mouth. She instantly regretted it. She didn't want to know. Did she?

Lorelai took a deep breath. "No. She wasn't. I didn't know about the others until later."

Rory slowly nodded, finally understanding. "All of his late nights at the office. The trips..."

"I don't know, Rory. Honestly, I didn't ask. I didn't want to know. I don't think that I could have handled it," Lorelai admitted.

"This is all my fault."

"What?" Lorelai asked with disbelief.

"I was the reason you got married. If it wasn't for me, you could have been happy. You wouldn't have had to marry Dad." Rory was openly crying now.

Lorelai closed the distance between herself and her daughter, placing her hands on Rory's shoulders. She made sure Rory was looking her directly in the eye before she began. "Listen to me carefully, kid. First off, I didn't have to marry your father. I made the decision to do so," Lorelai explained. "Secondly, you're the one thing in my life that has always made me happy. I will never, ever regret having you. Do you hear me? Never."

Rory wiped away her tears and nodded. "And Luke?" she asked feebly.

"He's my friend. A very good friend. But just a friend nonetheless," Lorelai reassured her daughter.

"Okay." Rory gave her mother a weak smile. "I do like Luke. I really do. I don't want you to think that I don't."

Lorelai pulled her daughter into her embrace. "I love you, hun," she said, stroking Rory's hair. "I'm not ready to date anyone yet. And when I am, I will tell you first. Okay?"

Rory nodded.

Lorelai turned to face in the same direction as Rory and wrapped her arm around Rory's shoulders. "Come on. Let's go home."

The next morning, Luke was wiping the counter when Rory came in. He wasn't too surprised to see her – she had been in the diner a few times without Lorelai – but something about the look in her eyes made Luke stop what he was doing. "Hey Rory," he greeted her.

She looked Luke straight in the eyes. "Promise me that you won't hurt her," she said.

Luke was almost too shocked to answer. "I promise," he managed to stutter out.

Rory nodded. She quickly spun around on her heels and left the diner, leaving a stunned Luke behind her.

To be continued… Please review! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I hope that you all liked it.