A/N: Insert Strong Bad voice:
Like a Phoenix, from the ashes

...she rises again!

Written in the Stars (if you have a better play on title let me know...)
By Gilmoregirl1979 (the reigning Quote Queen)

Rating: PG-13

Hi this is your friendly disclaimer: Once again, I don't own (DAMN IT!), No Harm No Sue. WE just use the Gilmore Girls dolls during our slumber parties…. It's fun (shirtless Luke: with coffee pouring action, and the "Fry it and Buy it" Luke's Diner Play Set sold separately!)

R/R: yes please I love reviews; I wanna marry them (as previously stated, I have strange passions.)

Summary/ The Q: What if LL hooked up when they first met? A bonafied woulda What if things had moved … a touch more quickly…?

Luvz: Hey BABY, I am so stupid to start this, ... why do I put myself through this... oh right for THE PEOPLE! I forgot!

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Chapter 4

Do You Wanna …?

After the car lesson, Lorelai started to come to the diner most every day, Sorry Fran. And so it was, after dropping Rory off at school, Lorelai would usually start her day with a take out cup from Luke's. If she had time, she'd have a longer visit in the afternoon after her shift at the Inn, and since Rory was still in school, Lorelai could drop by the diner, get another Coffee fix and a Luke fix, before picking Rory up. Sometimes Lorelai would just sit at the counter for about a half an hour, watch Luke as he worked, and casually chat and argue with him when he had a free minute. All too happy to confuse him with her knowledge of movies and books he had neither seen nor read, ever so careful not to once mention Rory as her source for most of that information.

Lorelai would try to get him interested in what she had seen on TV the night before, or about classic movies he'd never heard of. In a way she saw Luke as a challenge, a puzzle to figure out, to be molded like silly putty… without the silly, and he was handsome, in that rugged T-shirt and Jeans, "I'm too cool to shave" kind of way.

They had been friendly, but the fun was in the arguing just the same, it became their thing. She would still insist on being served immediately because somewhere she had been adopted as a Queen. He would inform her that chili cheese fries were not only bad for her health, but they weren't on his menu. However, with a flip of her hair and a flash of that smile, he'd cave and make 'em for her anyway.

Lorelai didn't know if she should tell Luke she had kid, small talk only went so far. Besides, this was only an eye candy crush, nothing serious. However, on this particular afternoon, Lorelai was having such fun teasing Luke, she almost didn't notice the time on the wall, Rory! "Oh, I have to go," she put some money on the counter for him, but Luke stopped her.

"Hey ummm, Lorelai, wait a sec."

"Yeah?" she sat back down because suddenly he looked very serious … and very nervous.

Luke had noticed that she sometimes came in twice a day now, apparently content to sip her coffee and watch him work. He had hoped that she kept coming to the diner for more than the coffee and pie, Luke was about to find out. Suddenly, Luke felt like he was in high school again, he couldn't remember the last time he actually asked someone out. With Rachel in and out of the picture all the time he never really needed to; but their last parting seemed … more final, So, OH Hell, "Would you …umm, like to have dinner… some time … with me?" and Luke held his breath and waited for the answer.

Lorelai couldn't hold in the smile, "Like a date?"

"Well, umm yeah, sure like a date…" her smile was encouraging, but he still shuffled his feet, only then realizing he was asking her out in the middle of the diner for anyone to over hear, but he didn't want her to disappear again.

Apparently, the crush wasn't just on her end. Lorelai was technically a regular now, and Luke and her had pleasant conversations and banter, he had helped her out with her car, and she was definitely attracted to him, maybe … something was there… "Okay, great," she nodded.

"Great," almost laughing to himself that she said yes, then trying not to sound too eager, Luke asked, "ummm when?"

"Oh umm, well," Rory, crap …and dating time is in the evening…. "Is Thursday okay?" Gilmore what are you doing? You're gonna need a baby sitter, and an outfit … and your head examined.

"Sure, Thursday it is," he then realized for all they had talked he didn't know where she lived, or worked or what she did. Not that she's crack dealer in Stars Hollow. Do crack dealers have nights off? "Ummmm where … should I pick you up?"

"Actually ummm I could just come by here, if that's okay?" nice neutral territory.

"Sure, sure, that's fine." He still couldn't believe she had said yes.

"I'll see you then."

"Yeah, great," at that moment, Luke felt like giving everyone in the diner free Coffee.

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"I said yes!"

After Lorelai said "yes", she picked up Rory from school; they swung by the Inn to get Sookie for some emergency adult best friend time. Rory was too focused on her assignments, and didn't notice the hidden panic in her mother's face when she hopped in the Jeep. Rory did find it funny that when they stopped at the Inn, Sookie practically flew down the stairs to get into the jeep. It was a wonder Sookie didn't break something; as she had a reputation for being accident prone, especially when she was excited.

When the trio arrived home, Rory started her homework down stairs, and Lorelai had to discreetly drag Sookie upstairs. Sookie was trying best to comfort her friend not quite sure what the problem was yet. She said something happened with Luke? OH maybe they kissed!

"How could I say yes?" Lorelai repeated.

Sookie was a little disappointed that he only asked her out, damn, but she finally has a date? That's a good thing. Sookie was trying to be supportive, "…because Luke is a really great guy, you've had fun talking with him, and he's handsome…. And you've been friendly for a few weeks now …"

"But I said yes?"

"To a date which you haven't had for a really long time. Let's get a few things in perspective okay?"

Lorelai sat on her bed "okay?" wondering where Sookie would be going with this.

"You guys are friendly right?"

"Well yes."

"…And you like him right?"

"Well …Yeah," Lorelai shyly admitted.

"…And he's pretty decent to look at, right?"

"Yeah, more than decent," Lorelai agreed.

"…And he asked you out? "

"YES," make a point!

And Sookie soothed, "So what's the problem? You go out, have a good time, and see if there is anything there worth building on. That is what dating is…"

"But … I have Rory"

"I'll baby-sit if you like."

"But what am I gonna tell her?"

"Well, you've always been a fan of telling her the truth," Sookie shrugged.

Lorelai shook her head not seeing that as a viable option, "But this is different. This is a boy, not a boy, a man … a man friend for me to play with. Oh My God Dirty." Lorelai flopped back on the bed again, still mortified that she didn't think about all the consequences before she said yes to a date when she basically swore off men to focus on rearing Rory.

"Honey, you need to do this, okay. As long as I've known you haven't really given any guy a chance, Chris was your last real relationship. "

"Last and only… look how that turned out."

"You deserve to be happy …"

Lorelai rolled over and sighed, "Luke does seem like a great guy."

"We all could use one of those … so find out how great, go out with him. You've already said yes, so he's expecting you to be there on Thursday."

Lorelai furrowed her brow, "You sound like my mother… 'You made a promise, so you have to follow through, what would people say if you backed out on your word.'"

Sookie laughed at the mock Emily voice, never having heard the original, "Well, don't you think Luke is worth following through with?"

"What about Rory?"

"You can't hide behind her forever."

"I'm not hiding…"

"Yes you are. You are scared of getting hurt again."

Lorelai kept quiet…of both of us getting hurt again.

"I promise you Luke is different, and Rory is a big girl I think she can handle it. If she can handle Tolstoy she can handle her mother dating."

"Well … not yet …let's see how it goes first… no sense in upsetting her… if it doesn't work out. Right?"

"Okay. Totally your call" Sookie was just happy that Lorelai was going to give Luke an honest chance. "What about telling Luke…?"

"Again, no sense in rocking the boat if … it doesn't work out," and Lorelai hated to hear the words, for some reason, she kept hoping for the best with Luke.

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OT A/N: I bought a shirt today that says, "Let's get Dirty!" I sooooooooooo love this shirt!

A/N: Short Rory Rant: -Rory is so stupid… Rory is just gonna give up when a man says no? Thank God she wasn't around when women were fighting for the right to vote... Maureen O'Hara would SOOOOOO kick Rory's ass and she's like 80 now!

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"That was all God given talent..." why thank you Luke!
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R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."
Please be specific with R/R; name one (or as many as you can think of or want to mention..…) At least specific thing you liked

Please! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)

Hence the Rant option below.

Insert Rant here V
A/N: if not completely satisfied with this chapter, please return unused portion for a full refund …