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

...she rises again!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Let's start with a Milestone: DUDE I have like 500 reviews on this story! WOW! I never thought…. DUDE I'm so honored you like me you really like me…

Written in the Stars
By Gilmoregirl1979 (the reigning Quote Queen)
Provider of QUALITY FAN FICTION!

Rating: PG-13

Hi this is your friendly disclaimer: Once again, I don't own (DAMN IT! DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT!), No Harm No Sue. (JUST GIVE ME A JOB and we will call it even!)

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? What if things had moved … a touch more quickly…?

Luvz: I miss you

A/N: Rory Holmes you know like Sherlock Holmes? Famous Detective? Well her name is not Sherlock but she is deductive that way… so we have a nickname Rory Holmes.

A/N: For those of you who didn't READ revised 19(SHAME ON YOU!) All I added to the RANT was

PS Could Luke have said DAD about 5 more times... I don't think we got he was talking about DADs

A/N: Tom and J Stone recently complimented me on my dialogs… and for the record, I'm not CRAZY! But when I write LL stories… I can actually hear the way Lauren and Scott would inflect things as if this was an Actual script… being shot for an actual episode… I hear Luke and Lorelai in my head when I write… I've studied the show for so long… it's second nature now and this chapter the dialogs are quite excellent… I hope you agree!

I tell you, I WAS a Gilmore girl before it was fashionable… I've been snarky and sarcastically cute all my life… I could have been Rory (if only I knew they were having auditions! AHEM no small grudge for that!) Or the young Lorelai in season 3… dark curly hair… big blue eyes… I tell ya… this is so my forte…

HAPPY NEW YEAR! CRACK WHORES!

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Chapter 20:
Who Died And Made You Hailey Mills?

As the tension between Luke and Lorelai grew, sightings of the couple together over the next week also grew slim, which raised a red flag to all the gossips in town, and opened an entire new door of speculation and questions.

What happened?

Was there a fight?

Did any one see?

Keep it down here she comes.

Lorelai had plenty to distract her as she threw herself into her work when she became the new concierge of the Independence Inn. Mia surprised Lorelai with the promotion at Carly's baby shower, with a speech conveying that it was long over due, and this was the best opportunity. Lorelai had learned everything she could from Carly and Mia and Lorelai took her new role very seriously. She would remind herself your only focus is to make the customer right in front of you happy, as a way to not think about her jeopardized love life. Lorelai was juggling her new position at the inn, getting personal management training from Mia, prepping for summertime fun with Rory, and trying not to obsess with fixing things with Luke, trying to respect his apparent need for space… but failing.

Lorelai's promotion was bitter sweet without Luke. Sure she was happy, sure she felt she deserved it, and Rory was there to celebrate, praise and idolize; but Lorelai wanted to share the news with Luke, after all the time he's invested listening to her stories of annoying guests.

At that moment they weren't really speaking, that is to say, they weren't speaking about what was really bothering them. Lorelai only wanted to clear the air, even if it was just over the phone. She would carefully and strategically inform Luke of her nights off on his answering machine, she tried openly telling him she had some free time when she "happened" to run into him at the market or diner, that she wanted to spend it with him, but Luke always had an excuse, or said he had inventory in the stock room to count, or had to place an order he had to get out that day.

Lorelai knew he couldn't have been planning to propose when she brought up "the gossips wedding plans" last Saturday, it had only been a few months since they started dating, and they hadn't even had much alone time since Rory found out about them, not that that was all their relationship was based on. They hadn't really had any adult sleepovers since the Lane/Rory sleepovers were on still hold, because Mrs. Kim's sister was in town and Momma Kim wanted Lane to "focus on her school work, end of term very important". Even so, Lorelai would still reach out to Luke, but Luke still withdrew from her invitations.

Truth was Luke didn't know if he could look Lorelai in the eye ever again. He felt embarrassed that Lorelai now knew he was already thinking about marrying her … and well, that she wasn't doing the same about him. From her reaction to the gossips grand scheme, she hadn't even considered it as an option, or even a possible turn of events. So, Luke reverted to his hermit tendencies, but his little "cave" above the diner was that much darker without the Gilmores to brighten it up, and he knew the choice to exclude him self had already cost him.

Luke missed the chance to celebrate Lorelai's surprise promotion with Lorelai and Rory. He missed Rory's last day of school, and how depressed she was now that her schoolwork was at an end. He felt like he was missing precious moments… family memories, and he had to remind him self that they weren't his family, they were just … well, the Gilmores, Lorelai, the girl he had been dating regularly for a little over three months, and her daughter, Rory. Even if only for four months… they felt like so much more to him, he felt it during the sleep over week, introducing them to Bud and Maisy, teaching Rory how to cook. He felt like they were his girls.

Luke only found out about the latest Gilmore news when Rory dropped by the diner during her now free days.

Rory was also surprised that her mother hadn't invited Luke to celebrate her new position. She had picked up clues that Lorelai wasn't telling her everything, and that her mom was wearing a false happy face because of Luke's distance, but Rory couldn't be fooled. Rory was tired of wondering what the diner man was going through without Lorelai; she needed to know if he was at fault for her mother's mood, or if he was just as sad as Lorelai was. So Rory went like any good investigative reporter, to get the facts.

"You never had your piece of cake…" Rory explained as she brought the thoughtful, but stale piece of cake to the diner.

"Thanks Rory…ummm I'll have it tonight," he said politely seeing the white mold spores already forming on one side. Rory settled at the counter, and was thinking of her next question, did you and mom have a fight? Did you break her heart? Am I supposed to hate you now? But Luke beat her to the question, "Happy that school's out?" Luke asked, not sure what Rory's reaction would be considering how much she loved school and learning, he did see her a few days ago, sadly leave the building across the square with her head hung down, slowly exiting the walls of knowledge.

"Well, I do like the idea of all this free time, and now I can pick what I want to read… but, I'm still gonna miss going to class and doing experiments… heck, I'm even gonna miss Mrs. Kelly and home ec." she grinned.

Luke couldn't gage how much Lorelai had told Rory from the conversation he had with the tween. He decided to commemorate her summer freedom by treating her to an End of School Sundae, but he figured he'd just act normal and not answer any direct questions involving Lorelai.

However, Luke not talking about Lorelai had only made Rory suspect even more that something was terribly wrong. It was like he was purposefully avoiding mentioning or asking about her mom at all. It had been a week since their last dinner at Sniffy's, five days since Carly's baby shower and Lorelai's promotion, two days since school ended, and one day since Rory's conversation with Luke had confused her.

So that evening, her mind now free from schoolwork, free to analyze the talk of the town and compare it with her own observations, everything finally bugged Rory enough to looked up from her recreational reading and started questioning the one person who had been always honest with her, "Mom?"

"Yeah Hon…" Lorelai answered distracted while looking through the paper, most likely hunting for notice of a shoe sale.

"Are you and Luke…" broken up, Rory almost didn't want to say it, cause that would have made it real, "…fighting?"

"What?" Lorelai tried to blow off the question with a laugh, but deep know she didn't find the situation funny. "What makes you say that?" Why all the evidence before her Lorelai. DUH! The fact that you never mention him now, the fact that she hasn't seen him here for a week…

Rory Holmes had struck again, "Well, he's mainly been talking to me for the past week, and he doesn't come over anymore, and you two haven't had a date since we went to Sniffy's…"

She's been talking to him, Lorelai then resisted the urge to pressure Rory into telling her every single word that was said. Instead, she took a deep, calming breath, and simply explained, "We are not fighting. We just had … a little misunderstanding."

That sounds like fighting, "Aww man," Rory whined and was now even more depressed, first school ends and now this, "you two are gonna break up," she stated sadly, pushing her book away from her, and sulking at the kitchen table, resting her head on her arms. Rory knew it was too good to be true, just like in the movies. Hello anyone see Love Story! Things were finally going their way and then Jenny had to go and die!

Lorelai decided then and there, "We are not going to break up." She just didn't know how to explain her apprehension about marriage to Luke or the situation to Rory for that matter, or why exactly she suddenly felt so strange about their situation, or why that inner voice wanted her to ruin everything, cut and run away from possibly the best man she's ever known. Lorelai did know that she didn't want to loose Luke.

"But how can you be together if you won't be together…. or talk to each other," Rory asked.

"Hey, I've been trying" Lorelai defended herself, "believe me, I have, Luke has me on a freeze out. We just … need to have some time … apart," she hated that word, "…to think and sort things out…okay?"

Now with a mission, Rory sprang up from the kitchen table and ran out of the room and up the stairs.

"Where are you going? ... Rory?" and Lorelai followed her daughter curious at her speed.

Upstairs, Rory found her mother's camera, and hit the rewind button, and hoped it would finish before her mother found her. "Come on, come on, come on…"

But Lorelai had found her, "Rory? ... Hey… that's my camera…"

Rory popped out the film and clutched the evidence in her hand.

"Rory that roll was only half used… what are you doing?"

Half used that you know of… "I'm going to Lanes," Rory announced abruptly, and bolted for the stairs again.

"With my film?" Lorelai couldn't understand what had gotten into her daughter, was she that upset about Luke's absence or the possibility of a Luke and Lorelai break up that Rory was totally unhinged and flying off the handle, doing inexplicable things?

"I'm going to see it Lane's Aunt and Uncle have found their own place yet."

"What? Why?"

"Sleep over," Rory called on her way out the front door.

Lorelai took in her surroundings again, as if she crossed to another dimension, "What just happened?" Lorelai asked her empty bedroom.

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The next day…

Mia was going over scheduling for the following month, how many rooms were booked, how much staff she'd need, what events were coming up for the dining room, the lawn and the town. Things of interest she could point out to her constant stream of tourist and guests. Then the knock on her open door caught her attention. "Rory?" Mia took off her reading glasses, and was concerned about the serious look Rory wore.

"Hey Mia," the young girl smiled shyly.

"I think your Mother is in the dining room? Helping Sookie set up for…"

"I don't need mom, I need to talk to you."

"Well alright," Mia said sweetly, putting her pen upon the desk, admit ably curious as to what Rory was up to with her free time away from the walls of learning, "have a seat… what can I help you with?"

Rory chewed on one side of her lip for a little bit, an action she had seen her mother do a thousand times when she had a difficult decision to make or was at an impasse. Rory always assumed it was to help her mother think, but right now, during her own predicament, it just plain hurt, "Well, I have a … well, I need a favor."

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After another few days of plotting, Rory and Lane were in Rory's bedroom at the Crap Shack.

"Wow, you can so tell, even with em sleeping, they are soooooo in love," Lane fawned over the pictures Rory had developed from her mother's camera.

"And they are gonna stay that way," Rory said decidedly.

"Didn't you used to hate Luke?"

"Well … no, not really, I mean I hated the idea of my mom dating… and I was naïve enough to think my father would come through… but now… Luke's sorta grown on me, I mean he taught me how to cook… me; the daughter of Lorelai Gilmore can now cook! Besides he makes mom happy, she's never been this happy before… and she's gonna stay that way, too."

"I know but," Lane couldn't believe how risky Rory was being to keep her mom and Luke together, "…should we really be playing the Hailey Mills card."

"Sometimes… you gotta take the big chances," Rory nodded, to steel her nerve, "Okay, do you have your rock?"

Lane pulled the small stone out of her pocket, "I found a nice one in our yard."

"Okay … we have to aim for the same pane… and we have to do it together… I'd feel better doing it together…" Rory winced nervously.

"Sure thing, what are friends for but for … vandalism? That is how we got the phrase 'partners in crime'," Lane smiled.

"Okay, the lower right corner…" Rory instructed as the friends stood together, hand in hand, in front of the bedroom window facing toward the front porch of the house, and Rory counted off, "ready… 1… 2 … 3…"

CRACK!

"Woaw," Lane exclaimed, "That was sooo Cool!"

"I know, very liberating," Rory was surprised to observed "no wonder boys like to break things."

"Dude, the last time I broke something, I was grounded for like a month. Well, it was a vase worth 175 dollars, that's probably why."

"Okay, window broken, Check…"

Everything was on schedule for Rory's plan.

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"Three days?" it was a nightmare for Lorelai.

"Lorelai, you are over reacting," Mia tried to sooth, "this is supposed to be a reward."

"Carly just went on Maternity leave, the computer, which I've named Hal, by the way, hates me, I'm still struggling with the bellhops names and you want me to have three days off… in a row."

"You've been working far too hard lately, and Rory just got out of school, I thought you'd like to spend some time together…"

"We can spend time together here…at the inn, and openly defy child labor laws. Mia, please, I really…"

"Aw you need quality time, she's growing up so fast…before you know it, she'll be dazzling them at Harvard… out there on her own…"

"Mia, really, I appreciate the thought, but I need to work," To keep my mind off Luke.

"No arguments, you have more than enough Sick Leave to cover… now go."

"Now?"

"Now, I don't want to see you here for three days."

"But really…"

"No ifs, ands, or buts… now shoo, go spend time with Rory…" Mia smiled knowing all the details of Rory's design, all too happy to play her part.

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Lorelai couldn't believe it. Sent home from work? I'm 28 years old for pity's sake.

She did smile briefly at the sight of home and wondered how she was going to avoid thinking of Luke in a house that now held so many memories of him. A picture he had hung up for her in her bedroom, the stairs that no longer creaked, and the bookshelves in Rory's room. She knew she should just talk to him, really clear the air, to decide once and for all if they were together or not, so they both could escape this limbo and move on.

Move on… that is why she never dated before. She hated that feeling of something wonderful coming to an end, but on the other hand she also hated the nervous knots that had been in her stomach for the last week.

As she climbed the porch steps she saw Rory's light was on, and smiled one on one time with my favorite girl, Mia's orders.

Lorelai came in the house, put down her keys and purse on the floor, "Rory?" she called, "Mommy needs some pizza and movies…" as she kicked off her heels by the door.

Lorelai unbuttoned her new blazer that Mia had bought as a promotion gift, and tossed it on the couch, "Rory?" thinking it strange that her daughter wouldn't answer. So Lorelai went to Rory's room, and almost crashed into Luke as he was trying to leave.

Lorelai's breath caught in her chest, the last person she expected to see, the very person she was trying not to think about was in her house, and she stuttered out, "what are you doing here?"

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Insert dramatic chapter break…

Get up,

Do a dance…

Make a sandwich…

Insert that "I would do anything for Love" Dr. Pepper Commercial (gotta love Meatloaf the artist not the food! You can like the food too if you want…I have a topping sauce that is awesome… sorry you weren't looking for a recipe were you… I turned in to Sookie for a second!)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNDDDD

… we're back…
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Luke and Lorelai simply stared at each other, for almost a full minute, so Luke cleared his throat, "ummm Rory called me… she said she had a broken window."

"A broken what?" and Lorelai examined the window, but Luke had already replaced the pane, she saw the evidence of his labor with his toolbox and broken glass on the floor.

"Yeah, she said the Banyan boys went by… and they were throwing rocks… or something."

"The Banyan boys are 1 and 3" Lorelai informed him.

"Oh… okay?" Luke didn't even know who the Banyan boys were. He just knew that avoiding her the past week was one of the hardest things he had to do. Sure Lorelai was persistent and still came in the diner; sure she was annoying leaving those messages on his machine, but it was his own fault pushing her away. She looked different to Luke, in her business dress clothes. He had seen her in her maid uniform occasionally, and seen her dressed up before while she was in training, but being close to her again… she looked as beautiful as ever and didn't seem worse for wear with their time apart.

"So… you're here to fix it?" she stated the obvious, uncomfortable under his intense gaze. Lorelai had to take it as a good sign that he was still willing to help out and still wanted to take care of them, despite their misunderstanding.

"Umm yeah... she said she had a sleep over at Lanes, and that you would be working… so… well I just thought I wouldn't disturb you this way… umm what are you doing home any way…?" embarrassed that she caught him in his discreet good deed.

"Oh well, Mia said I was working… too hard." and then Lorelai began to suspect that some trick had been played on her, "Wait, did you say that Rory was at Lane's?"

"Yeah, she let me in, showed me the broken pane and left with Lane about a half hour ago."

"But she didn't get my permission for a sleep over…" Lorelai wondered how they got Mrs. Kim to agree to it. Then she noticed how Luke had kept his right hand behind his back the entire time they were talking, "did you hurt yourself?"

"No."

Not believing him, she tugged on the hidden arm, "oh Luke…" and Lorelai was overwhelmed sympathy for his bleeding hand, and she pulled him haphazardly by his sleeve into the kitchen she began to quickly clean it up at the sink.

"It's fine; it's no big deal… OW"

She had a clean washcloth and was doing her best to be his nurse, "It has to be cleaned"

"Well could you slow down, you're not helping, OW" he complained again.

"I don't like blood okay…"

"Then I'll do it."

But Lorelai refused to let go of his hand, but she did slow down as to not hurt him any more, and she liked how he was standing right behind her. They hadn't been this close in so long, and she stole a whiff of Luke. She couldn't be certain, but she thought he had inhaled slowly too; it could have been that she was hurting him again, or it could have been he was enjoying her perfume. Either way, she took even more care with his wound.

Luke had missed her, he couldn't help himself, being without her was driving him crazy, and he inhaled her jasmine perfume. 6 months ago Luke couldn't name a flower and now he had her scent memorized and burned in his brain. She finished up with the cut and found a band-aid for him. He noticed how she purposely focused on his hand, carefully placed the adhesive strip, like she liked touching and holding his hand again. The task finished Lorelai suddenly turned to him, his blue eyes were all she could see, and without warning she closed the distance between them and kissed him.

"Lorelai?" he mumbled against her lips as he enjoyed the contact, "We have to talk…"

"No, not yet…" Lorelai pulled him close again, and held him tighter, don't spoil it.

"Lorelai…?" But the pain in his hand was forgotten as his arms enveloped her and their lips met hungrily again. He kissed her hard and with all he had and Lorelai savored the moment since it had been so long since they were together, alone, truly alone together and could completely let go of restraint. Soon her hands were in his hair, and his trademark ball cap was on the floor. "Up stairs," she suggested breathlessly, as she was already pulling him in that direction by his collar and his belt.

"Lorelai?"

"Luke… we have the house to our selves," and There was no time for talk. All either could think of was the passion and urgency of that moment. Luke slipped his tongue into her mouth, and they were kissing deeply as they blindly found their way to and up the stairs, hoping they didn't break anything along the way. Luke had one arm around her to keep her close and the other was futilely trying to find their way to her bedroom. After few steps, Lorelai felt the bedroom door against her back, and she blindly fumbled to turn the knob, but had to break their chain of kisses to actually see which way to turn the door handle, and Luke only distracted her all the more as he turned his attention to her neck and decided to torture her that way for a little bit, coxing an impatient moan from Lorelai.

Once inside, Lorelai's subconscious told her it was now safe to start pulling off his clothes, away from where her kid could accidentally walk in on them and be scarred, and away from nosey neighbors noses pressed against her living room windows.

As she quickly unbuttoned his shirt, he unbuttoned her satiny blouse. Some how, with their time apart and her new position, at the inn, he thought she looked even more fantastic as she slipped out of her blouse and skirt. It could have been because it had been a few months since they were alone in this capacity.

As she lay down on the bed, Luke seemed to be committing each of her curves to memory, "well are you just gonna stand there?" not wanting to miss a beat of their progress.

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Let's all go to the lobby,

Let's all go to the lobby,

Let's all go to the lobby … and have our selves a snack!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand

We're back!

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Lorelai was lovingly stroking the bandage on Luke's injured hand … because the band-aid was the only bit of clothing he had on at the moment. Spooning in her bed, Lorelai and Luke were tangled together; "I'm so glad we made up…" she smiled stupidly, having that same giddy feeling from when they first started dating, memories of their second date and first time together in her head. Hoping the grin would be mirrored on his face, she turned toward him, but she saw Luke still seemed hesitant and quiet after being so passionate a few minutes ago. "We did just make up, didn't we?" That's what this was, right? Lorelai was worried that the past 20 minutes had been just for show, afraid that that sex hadn't solved all their problems.

"Lorelai," he was trying to make the situation clear for her, so he blurted out, "… I love you."

"What?" Lorelai would have run away, but since she didn't having any clothes on and she would have looked really silly, that and the words had frozen her to the spot.

"I'm in love with you … okay…" he was almost asking for permission, since she seemed to be afraid of letting him in further.

"Luke," Heaven help the man who falls for me…

But Luke cut her off, "No hear me out…" and he sat up in the bed, " I'm sorry if I'm thinking long term about us… but when I think about you or us… that's what I see," he shrugged, "all three of us… you, me, and Rory… and I … I don't know … it nice to think about."

"The three of us?" as a family?

"Yeah", Luke was getting flustered, "I know she's your daughter, but you encouraged me to spend time with her and well we are friends now… I guess. I've never done this before okay… I've never… dated a woman with a kid before… I don't know how this is supposed to go… I know how I'd like it to go…but if you don't want this… if you don't see yourself with me in a few months… or years… we should … end it." and Luke was terrified that she'd run like Rachel did.

"Luke," she knew she had to pick her words carefully, "I'm sorry… if I made you think I wasn't happy or …that I didn't see us together for a long time. I just didn't really think about it, it's just… I'm still getting used to this… just like you said you slept in the same room for what… 7 years… well a change takes some getting used to… and I've been alone… just me and Rory for so long… and now, you're here … and willing to fill that void… for me and her…and I wasn't really…looking for that… or expected that from you…but there you were… just doing what came out … naturally." Know what a standup guy he was, " I just… Luke I don't know what came over me. I can't explain why anyone would knowingly push you away." And she took his hand again, "I like us, I do, but… do we have to think of the future", she said in a foreboding tone, "right now? Make all these decisions right now? Can't things just stay this way… just for a while? I mean you want me to predict if we get married and have kids… I can't make that guarantee I won't… I don't know what will happen…"

Luke considered her point. He was a few years older, and maybe he was just a little more mature than she was. Was it too much for him to expect her to be ready to settle down like he was? "I can live with that… for now… but Lorelai what's holding you back?"

"I don't know" she shook her head, "I've just been…very self reliant for so long, I've had to be… I've never really let anyone in before… the last time I did… well …"

"Lorelai… I'm not out to hurt you."

"I know that, it's just…"

"I'm not Christopher," Luke clarified, knowing they had only briefly discussed Rory's father because it made both of them uncomfortable.

The phrase stuck Lorelai, like some grand epiphany had hit her upside the head, and suddenly something clicked. Somehow, hearing that phrase from Luke himself made Lorelai consider a new angle to her commitment phobia.

"…You don't have to be on your guard with me… I'm not going to try and hurt you… I'm not… him…"

"I know," she whispered, I know that…

"I'm not gonna let you down."

"I know." Luke is not Christopher. When she first started dating Luke she kept hearing that phrase from Mia and Sookie. And now, she saw maybe that was the problem her subconscious had with the relationship, the simple fact that Luke wasn't Christopher, but she couldn't analyze that now, it would have to wait and be talked out with Sookie later.

"Lorelai?"

"Hmmm?"

"I thought I lost you for a second there."

"No, no I'm sorry, I just ... are we okay?"

"That depends, are we still dating?"

"Yes, absolutely yes," she smiled broadly, feeling a sense of freedom and lightness now that she had possibly pinpointed the saboteur of her perfect relationship.

"Good, good," And he settled down on his side of the bed and she hugged up against him, not wanting an inch between them.

"Jeez it's only been a week… it feels like for ever…" she mused.

"It's been longer than that," he teased, referring to the gap in their intimate relations.

"We don't do well with out each other…do we?"

"No, we don't" Luke agreed, brushing her hair aside, happy she was seeing things his way for once.

"Well we'll have to make it a point to go out on real adult type dates… balance Rory time… and us time."

"Okay."

Lorelai enjoyed the close quarters, and felt the need to inform him, "Oh, I got a promotion… I'm now the concierge at the Inn."

"I know…Rory told me."

"Yeah... Rory" suddenly remembering her little mischief maker, "I think she played us."

"Oh yeah, completely played us," He agreed at the fantastic circumstances they found themselves in.

"She must have… I don't know broken her window on purpose…"

"Taylor was right, delinquency starts with littering…"

Lorelai had to laugh at that, and then remembered Rory's accomplice, "Oh and Mia… she got Mia in on it too… Mia sent me home just at the right time so I could find you still here…" and she sighed at how clever Rory was, "so… what now?"

"Well, Rory's at a sleep over… and you and I... Well we've have sleepovers before…"

She cuddled with him again, "Hmmmm I've missed our naked sleepovers… I can't even remember… it was before we told Rory, right?"

"Yup… almost three months."

"Wow, so patient, you must really like me to stick around for so long."

Luke played with her hair, "I think I'll keep you," he decided.

"Okay then," she smiled, getting more comfortable with the idea of Luke, "You know… I have three whole days off…"

"Really?"

"Yeah… maybe we could do something… fun? Together?"

"I can think of a few things," and Luke rolled on top of Lorelai with a kiss.

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A/N: Tom/ J. Stone…. How'd I do?
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"That was all God given talent..." why thank you Luke, Tom and J. Stone!
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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 one 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...

Hello:

As for the other 300 or so words I added to 19… like I said I had to polish… so this chapter made sense… and I had to cut down the ellipses… Muffin Is Injuredwas right… there was a RIDICULOUS amount of ellipses in 19… oops, there I go again… GAH ! Stop IT!

A/N: of this milestone… this is extra long chapter (originally this would have been like 3 chapters BUT I knew you all would think them too short), think of it as an "Sorry I was slacking but look at how hard I was working to bring you quality fan fiction" type gift … I'm considerate that WAY! And PERSNICKETY THAT WAY! Yes I learned a new word!