Wonder Woman's Been Defeated

Lorelai had spent the last few weeks mostly at the Inn. It wasn't all that busy but it was better than staying home alone. Her phone at home rang at all hours of the night with phone calls from relatives giving their condolences about her ill-fated wedding and engagement. She was safe from it here.

At that moment she was standing at the front desk not really paying attention to what was going on around her and was just staring at the reservation book flipping through pages even though she wasn't looking at anything in particular. When someone walks up to the front desk she doesn't even realize

That someone's waiting to be served. As they clear their throat they catch her attention and she slowly brings her head up. Shock and surprise then form on her face and a small, smile forms on her face.

"Now that's better."

"Mia! What are you doing here?" Lorelai walks around the desk and gives her a hug.

"Well I heard about"

"The cancellation of the wedding."

"Yes I'm afraid so."

"How did you find out?"

"I've still got a few other connections to this here town."

"Oh."

"Yes well I just wanted you to know that I was really excited when I heard that you and Luke had gotten together and I was very disappointed when I got work that you two didn't work out."

"Thank You Mia."

"How are you doing Sweetie?"

"Oh I've been better."

"That's what I expected to hear."

"Yes well these things happen, you just have to move on as best as you can. Now enough about me. I want to hear about you. You haven't been around in years." Lorelai wraps her arm around Mia's and leads her into the dining room."

"Well I've been sick for a while now." She says as she takes a seat at one of the tables.

"You've been sick." Lorelai says in shock. "Mia I had no idea." She states as she takes a seat on the other side of the table facing Mia.

"Well it wasn't something that I wanted to flaunt."

"You were never one for flaunting, What was the matter with you?"

"I had cancer, Breast Cancer."

"Mia… Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well it all happened so quickly. I had a mammogram and they told me. It was an accident that I even got one. I hadn't even thought about it but my sister was getting one so I went with her and ended up getting one myself. Then they found it and treated it. At the time you and Sookie were starting up this place. I had been where you two were before. The Independence Inn used to be a run down old place too. I knew you two had all kinds of stress going on. And Rory was going off to school. You had a lot going on. I didn't want to add more to your plate."

"I still wish that you would have told me."

"Well it's over now."

"I'm glad that you're okay."

"So am I. Lorelai you've gotten yourself checked out before haven't you?"

"Well um."

"Because that's what saved my life. It's very important that you have routine check-up and make sure your okay because if you catch anything early enough you'll be fine."

Lorelai looks deep into thought. She hasn't been to the doctor in years. She's never gone routine in her whole life. Whenever she got a cold she would buy the cheap cough medicine and at the drug store and that was the extent of it. She never had any sign of being physically ill so she never saw the need of it. Now she had all these thoughts about things that could be wrong with her that she didn't know about.

"Mia!"

"Sookie, how are you dear."

"I'm just wonderful, and you?"

"Just splendid."

"Excuse me." Lorelai gets up out of her chair in a daze and walks into her office shutting the door.

"She's not doing so well is she?"

"No, not since her and Luke broke things off."

"I've never seen her this distraught."

"I have but only once… the last time her and Luke broke up."

Luke was trying to keep busy as well. His visit with Mia earlier today helped take up part of his time. It was nice to get to see her. She was one of the few people left that he had known when he was younger. It was nice getting to see her. He was upset that she had been sick but was thrilled that she made it. Her mom had breast cancer and it killed her. His dad had lung cancer and it did the same to him. He wondered how Lorelai had taken to the news. Mia was like a second mom to her. It probably killed her to know Mia was sick and she had no idea.

When Rory walked in with a tear stained face he assumed that it was because she heard about Mia.

"Hey Luke." Rory sits on a stool in front of him.

"Hi Rory." Luke pours her a cup of coffee. "Rory… what's going on?" He asks concerned

"It's mom." Rory says while tearing up again. Luke's radar immediately goes up.

"What's the matter with your mom?" He says it at calm as he can, even though in his mind are so many different scenarios, all of them scaring him out of his mind.

Rory calms herself down to tell Luke. "You know how Mia's in town."

"Yeah."

"Well she was talking to mom about her deal with breast cancer and all this other stuff and told her she should make sure she got routine check ups because if something was wrong with her they would catch it sooner rather than later. Mom's never been one on going to the doctor on a regular basis. You know her."

"Yeah I do. In the time we were together I don't think she ever went to the doctor."

"Well anyway today she went." Rory starts to tear up again.

"What happened Rory?"

"They found something… A lump in her breast. She's having surgery next Friday to see if it's cancerous."

Luke goes speechless.

"Yeah that was me an hour ago when she told me."

"How's she taking it?"

"Really well. She's handling it like it's no big deal. Has a real firm grasp on the situation."

"But you're still worried about her?"

"Of course, If something ever happened to her, I don't know what I would do."

"Nothing's going to happen to your mom. She's the strongest person I know. She's going to be fine."

"I really hope your right."

"Are you going back to school?"

"Yeah, she's making me. She won't let me spend the night. She even took my house key away from me and locked the door. Could you check up on her for me? Just to make sure she's okay."

"Don't worry I'll make sure she's okay."

"Great, thanks Luke. I'll talk to you later." Rory gets up and walks to the door.

"Rory." She turns her head back at Luke.

"Yeah?"

"She's going to be fine… She's tough… She'll pull through."

"I hope so, she's my life." Rory leaves

"Yeah she's mine too." Luke whispers to himself when she leaves

Luke stood in front of Lorelai's house. He couldn't believe this was happening. He felt awful that this was happening to Lorelai. He felt bad that she was going through this all alone. He thought about what this would have been like for them if they were still together. He couldn't even imagine.

He knocked on the door and heard Lorelai yelling

"Rory I told you I'm fine."

She un -locked the door and opened it, shocked to see Luke standing there. She knew by looking at him that he knew and he knows she's scared. Lorelai walks into his arms and immediately starts crying. Luke pulls her closer and whispers into her ear.

"Shh… it's okay. You're going to be okay."

"I'm so scared." She sobs into his chest.

"I know… I know you are… I am too."