Disclaimer: ASP's creation not mine. Don't own anything! If I did, I would want to own, Luke Danes. ;p Also, if I did own GG, there would be no such existence of the Nardini's, and LL would be happily married at the end of S6, while making Lorelai's dream in S3 become a reality in S7.

Author's Note: *taps mic* Testing… Is this thing on?

Whoa, so that break took me wayyy longer than I planned. I am so incredibly sorry guys. Life really blasted me in the face after my last update. My grandmother got sick, then passed away in Jan. 2019, then my grandfather got sick and passed in Nov. 2019. Then my other grandmother had a massive stroke and I've been caring for her mainly alone up until last month. Now I have some other family members helping, so I was able to come back.

Also, for a long time the writer in me just kind've hid. I couldn't even bribe her out of hiding. It was very sad… but now she's back, and I pray to God that she's here to stay… forever lol. Anyway, here is the way overdue chapter eleven. I hope you enjoy…


Vital Company

Chapter 11: Thunderous Throwbacks

The mouth-watering aroma of garlic and bacon carried throughout the house, and the sound of laughter filled the space, easily drowning out the unexpected storm that was happening outside.

Billy had skillfully conducted up a wonderful meal of buttered steak, cheesy, garlic mash potatoes and bacon wrapped asparagus – with some help from Lorelai. She sprinkled the cheese on the mash potatoes and she wrapped each asparagus with bacon, all while making a grimacing face at the wilted meat.

Once everything was done, they retreated to the large dining area and sat across from each other. Just as Lorelai was about to take her seat, she noticed something was missing.

"Oh shucks, I forgot our drinks." She said as she stood back up, "You want another beer?"

"Actually," Billy waved her off, "uh, could I get a water instead?"

Lorelai lifted her brows playfully, "Ha! So, now I'm not the only one who ditched the preservation club." She teased lightly.

Billy chuckled, "Yeah, well uh, I figured I'd better switch over now, so hopefully by the time we're done with dinner, the storm lets up and I can head out and walk a straight line back to my truck."

A slight crease formed in the middle of Lorelai's brows, "I can drive you back. It would be no problem, really. This storm doesn't seem like it'll be stopping anytime soon."

Billy politely denied her offer, "Nah, it's okay. I've got my truck on the other side of the creek."

Lorelai still felt uneasy about him walking in the storm, "Are you sure?"

Billy looked up at her with his warm emerald orbs and gave her a reassuring smile, "Yeah, I'm not sugar, so I'll be fine."

Lorelai laughed, "Okay." She replied, still not a hundred percent convinced as she turned to retrieve their drinks from the kitchen.

She swiftly grabbed a glass from one of the cabinets and filled it with water from the pitcher in the fridge. She replaced the pitcher and reached for another beer for herself, before she made her way back into the dining area. She neatly placed the glass in front of Billy, and then skirted the table to retake her seat.

"Thanks." He said as he took a sip.

Lorelai smiled, before she looked down at her plate, "This looks and smells so good." She complimented as she cut a small piece of steak and dragged it lightly through her mash potatoes, before popping it into her mouth, "Oh. My. God." She said, covering her mouth as she chewed.

Billy chuckled at her dramatic appreciation for the food, "Good?"

"Seriously?" Lorelai asked him after she finished her food in her mouth as she looked at him as if he was crazy for even asking her that question, "This is delicious. I mean, my fiancée is an amazing cook and my best friend is a great chef, but this is so good." She laughed as she sliced another piece.

"Good," Billy nodded with a small smile, "I'm glad you like it, but I notice that you aren't touching the vegetables." He commented as he lifted a challenging brow towards her.

"Yeah, I'm not really known for being keen on greens." Lorelai scrunched her face a little, "Even if it is blanketed by tasty, grease slathered oink-ness."

Billy shot his green laser-like eyes at her with a look that clearly said; that excuse wasn't gonna fly with him, "Lorelai." His voice was low and steady.

"Really?" Her brows lifted in surprise, "You're gonna make me eat it?"

Billy nodded his head towards the asparagus, his lips holding a smirk, as his eyes never wavered his sternness.

Lorelai groaned softly, feeling like a toddler, "Fine, but just a bite." She retorted her bargain.

She honestly didn't know why she was going along with it. She was a grown woman; she didn't have to listen to anyone. Luke gave her the talk and the stern look all the time, but it never worked. With Billy though, it was as if he had pulled the Dad card and gave her a feeling that made her just know that she had to at least try it.

Billy watched her slowly slice a piece of asparagus as she made a face the whole time. The bacon hung slightly from her fork as she drew it into her mouth. She began to quickly chew, only for her eyes to slide open and land on Billy's as she fully tasted the flavors that combined together so expertly in her mouth.

"Well?" Billy asked, his smirk still present, knowing it wasn't as bad as she tried to make it out to be.

"I – like it." She replied a bit defeated at the fact that she enjoyed the vegetable portion more than she expected to.

Billy chuckled, "Stick with me, kid and vegetables will slowly get on your good side."

"You're making my stomach scared." She joked as she continued to consume her food eagerly.

"It'll thank me later." He replied easily as he followed.

Once they were through with their plates, Lorelai collected them and headed for the kitchen as Billy went to check on Paul Anka in the living room.

The delicate roar from the thunder continued to rumble outside the house. The rain had dwindled to a soft pattered rhythm as it beaded off the glass paned windows, and thick, dark gray clouds hovered low overhead.

Lorelai absolutely loved the sun and perfect weather, but she also found herself wishing for days like these. She quickly learned that Luke would struggle to roll out of bed a little more than usual, as he didn't dare want to leave the warmth of her embrace. He would burrow closer to her as he nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck, while he pulled her flush up against him, entangling their limbs together. Their soft passionate kisses would quickly turn into fiery, obsessive tongue entwining crusades as their need for the other would grow voraciously, which would then lead to both of them calling out from work for the day.

Lorelai sighed heavily, longing for more moments like those with Luke, as she stared out of the kitchen window above the sink. The warm water melodiously rolled off of her hands and into the sink as the dirty dish she held suddenly went forgotten. She felt herself quickly drifting off into a daze, as her mind slipped into a memory of a similar night that fueled her infatuation for stormy weather like these.

She wore a very short, ivory-colored silk slip with a low, lace bodice. Her magnificent long, dark loose curls contrasted her slip beautifully as it spilled down her back. Her arms were lightly wrapped around her midsection as she stood in front of one of her big, newly renovated bedroom windows and quietly gazed out into the stormy night. Her demeanor contradicted the storm as she peacefully watched the trees sway from the gusty winds and the heavy drops of rain pour down from the dark and cloudy night sky.

She felt her eyes instantly slide shut as she hummed her delight at the unexpected feeling of Luke's strong arms wrapping around her waist from behind. He curled his body flush up against hers as he angled his head to place a feathered kiss to her cream-colored bare shoulder.

"You okay?" He murmured lowly against her skin, his rough sleepy voice dripping with concern.

Lorelai slid her hands over his, holding him in place as she leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze, "I'm great, hon." She replied softly, her mouth slowly curving upward at the feel of his questing lips, as they gradually trailed a heated path of kisses up her neck.

Luke allowed his tongue to lave the spot right below her ear, that he knew always caused her to have a shiver of chicken skin to run uncontrollably throughout her body. Lorelai removed one of her hands from his as she snaked it upward behind his head, to hold him close as she strung her fingers through the little curls at the nape of his neck. He gently bit down on the slightly reddened patch of skin, before he gingerly soothed the spot with a few more tender kisses.

He made his way north as he delicately rested his mouth against her ear, "Come back to bed." He whispered huskily, the rawness in his voice caused a heat wave to radiate throughout her, as she allowed his warm breath to fervently caress her skin.

Lorelai smoothly turned in his arms and wound hers around his neck as she tipped her head up to capture his lips in a slow burning kiss. She felt her beating heart pulse in sync with the descending downpour outside the window as she eagerly parted her mouth, inviting Luke's tongue access, in which he gladly accepted. They allowed their tongues to dance in a bliss-filled battle, tasting and savoring each other as the rumbling thunder from outside paralleled their rapid heartbeats.

Luke lifted a hand and gently threaded his fingers through her thick mass of hair as he slithered his other hand down to her perfectly shaped ass, to keep her snug up against his body. He leisurely began walking them backwards, not allowing their lips to ever disengage. He let his hands roam hastily over her body as his need to devour her in that instant only increased with every passing second.

Luke felt the back of his knees come into contact with the bed and knew they made it to their destination, so he swiftly turned them and painfully retracted his lips to allow his eyes to gaze into hers. Their chests heaved against each other as their heated breaths mingled together.

Luke rested his forehead on Lorelai's as he gazed into her beautiful blue pools in the dark, "Lorelai." He exhaled gruffly, the blatant yearning in his voice, caused her lips to lift into a breathtaking smile.

"Lorelai." She heard him say her name again, but this time it wasn't laced with love and lust, it was draped in concern.

Her brows furrowed deeply as she faintly shook her head and blinked away the fog from her vision, forcing the present to rapidly return to her.

"Lorelai?" She heard her name called again.

She turned her head to see Billy standing a few feet to her left. His kind emerald eyes held genuine apprehension, "Sorry, kind of got lost for a minute there." She apologized with a sheepish half smile.

Billy nodded his understanding, "It's okay." He eyed her warily for a moment, before he continued, "Hey, how about I take care of this," He motioned towards the remaining dishes, "and you go on and get your things set up for the night, before I head out."

"Oh no, I got it." She ensured as she shook her head, "It's the least I can do, since you cooked dinner."

"I don't mind." Billy brushed it off easily as he replied, "Besides, I owe you."

Lorelai's brows creased in confusion, "How do you figure that?"

Billy shrugged, "If it weren't for you, I'd be losing my mind being bored out at my cabin. I mean, I like to relax, but sometimes too much quiet drives me nuts." He replied as he held his hand out for her to pass over the sponge.

Lorelai permitted a grin to encase her lips, knowing Billy just said that to make her feel better, "I know what you mean." She replied as she deposited the soapy sponge, "Thank you."

Billy nodded as a corner of his mouth lifted in a small smirk, knowing that she wasn't just thanking him for washing the dishes or cooking dinner. He shifted his eyes to his task at hand before he answered, "It's no big deal."

Lorelai's smile disappeared immediately at hearing his easy response. Once again, the bizarre similarities in Luke and Billy were coming to light. She blinked distractedly as she tried to shake off the eerie comparison. Her gut telling her one thing as her mind told her another.

She swiftly turned on her heel and made her way out of the kitchen as she headed towards the stairs. Just as her foot made contact with the first step, a little flashing blue light caught her eye. She squeezed her eyes shut as she inhaled deeply. She knew exactly what that blue light entailed, but as much as her mind knew that she should ignore it, her feet had other plans as they led her over to the end table next to the couch.

Lorelai looked down to her phone as she raised a shaky hand to retrieve it, slowly flipping the top open. As soon as she did, the screen lit up and gave her a notice of what she had missed.

(8) New Voicemails

She felt her heart clamoring loudly in her chest as she made the decision to listen to them. She internally told herself that it was to be sure that there wasn't an emergency, but she knew it was really to hear if Luke had left any of those messages, and if so, to see what he had to say – to see if he was struggling with the break as much as she was. Surely those eight voicemails couldn't all be from Luke… right?

She pressed the voicemail button, then hit the green call button and brought the phone to her ear.

"You have 8 new message," The robotic female voice notified her, "New Message…"

"Lorelai?" Luke's soft, aching voice pierced through her receiver. She instantly squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed onto the armrest of the couch as her heart dropped to her stomach just from the sound of his voice, "I uh-" He exhaled loudly, "I know I'm not supposed to call you. Hell, you only left an hour or so ago, and I can't even listen to a simple instruction." She heard him sigh sadly, "I'm sorry. I know I'm not helping the situation. I just-" Lorelai placed her free hand over her eyes, Luke's voice just ripping her to shreds. "I just don't know what to do without you…"

Lorelai could feel the watery heat building in the back of her eyes as she removed the phone from her ear to press the number nine on her phone, before replacing it back to her ear, "Message saved." The robotic voice said, "New message…"

"Hello, Lorelai," Emily's calm formal voice spoke, causing Lorelai to release the breath she unknowingly held, "I don't mean to interrupt you, but I wanted to confirm that you made it to the house okay. Also, if you found everything was to your liking. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call your father or myself. I'll talk to you soon. Goodbye."

Lorelai pressed seven, "Message deleted." She made a mental note to call her mother back later, "New Message…"

She heard Luke let out a heavy breath, "I uh-," He sighed again, triggering the feeling of a knife twisting in her gut, "I know the rules, and I know I'm not following them very well right now. It's just… I'm losing my mind here, Lorelai." His voice was low as he spoke, "I just need to know that you're okay. I need to know that you're safe. Please call me."

She rubbed her fingers across her forehead as she tried to fight back her tears. She couldn't believe that with just his vulnerable tone alone could have her rethinking her whole plan. She sighed heavily as she pressed nine, "Message saved. New Message…"

"Lorelai?" came the anxious voice of her best girl friend, "Sweetie, you haven't called me ye,t and I'm starting to get a little worried – a lot worried actually," she let out a nervous laugh, "so please call me and let me know that you're okay… soon! Okay, bye."

She pressed seven, "Message deleted," mentally making another note to call Sookie back first, "New Message…"

"Hey Lor," Chris's voice came into play, "Sorry to call you so late, but I just wanted to make sure you were feeling better and um–" He paused to clear his throat,"I mean, I know I'm probably not the best person to go to about any relationship situations, but you know, if you ever need to talk, you know how to get a hold of me. Okay, talk to you later. Bye."

Seven. "Message deleted." Call Chris. Lorelai took a deep breath as she steeled herself for the next message, knowing there were three left and betting at least one of those were from Luke.

"Lorelai?" She was right, "Please, Lorelai…" His voice cracked,"answer... please."

Nine, "Message saved." Lorelai felt her knees beginning to buckle under her weight, so she quickly dropped herself onto the couch as she pressed her eyes shut tight, allowing a stray tear to trail down her cheek. This was absolute torture. How in the hell was she going to last another six days without at least talking to him, let alone not see him.

Her tears had already formed from hearing Luke's first message, but now they escaped pass her eyes without her consent, for with each message, Luke's voice just seemed to break her heart a little more. She sighed and waited to hear the next message, "New message…"

Billy had made quick of finishing up all the dishes and finding its place back in its rightful spots in the cupboard. He noticed that it had been oddly quiet for a while, so as he replaced the dishtowel back on the tiny hanger, below the sink, he made his way into the living room in search for Lorelai.

"Lorelai?" He called out as he passed through the short hallway, but his call went unanswered as he spotted her sitting on the couch, hunched over with a hand shielding her eyes, as the other held her phone to her ear.

He didn't want to eavesdrop, but he also didn't want to leave without saying anything, so he took a few steps back, giving her some privacy as he leaned up against the archway that connected the living room to the kitchen. He silently watched as she listened intently to the voice on her phone, but just as he was about to avert his eyes towards the floor, he saw her remove her hand that shielded her face as she swiftly brushed away a tear from her cheek.

Billy's heart sank as he observed her. He knew exactly what she was going through. He knew what it was like to feel the void of not being with a significant other. The nonstop pain and suffering of feeling lost and not whole without them. And to make matters worse for Lorelai, she still felt unsure of where she stood when it came to her fiancée. His brows furrowed with shared anguish, as he remained muted.

"Hey, Mom." Came Rory's chipper voice, "No emergency. Um, I'm not quite sure if this counts as breaking the rules, but uh-" Rory took in a breath as if preparing herself, "I just wanted to let you know that Luke called me. He asked if I knew where you were and if you were okay." She paused, knowing that her mother would probably feel awful just with those words alone, "He um… sounded pretty frantic, but not harmed, so..." Lorelai bowed her head, causing her hair to fan over her face, "I assured him that you made it to your destination just fine, and that I honestly didn't know where you were… by the way, you need to tell me tomorrow when I call. I'll call around lunch, so have your phone on you, okay? Love you, Mom."

Her heart ached by the thought of knowing she was hurting Luke, just as she had told Billy outside of the bookstore; she didn't want to deliberately hurt Luke or make him think that she wanted some kind of sick revenge, because that wasn't the case at all. She needed them to both have some cleared space apart from each other, so they could really take a step back and examine the damage that had been done between them.

She knew that somewhere along the way, they had both got lost. They had rebuilt their walls around their hearts, and if they were going to make this work, that needed to change. They promised each other; no more secrets, but it seemed like ever since those words slipped out of their mouths, everything had been exactly the opposite of that.

Lorelai knew this break wouldn't be easy and she knew that she would probably find herself second guessing her decision more than once, but she also knew they had to do this. She had run out of ideas and options, things were only getting worse between herself and Luke, so as much as it pained her, her instincts told her that it needed to be done no matter how much it hurt.

She pressed seven, "Message deleted." The robotic voice informed as she wiped away more rogue tears, steeling herself to listen to the last message, knowing that it would be Luke, "New message."

"Hey," Lorelai's breath caught in her throat as more tears began to spill from her eyes. She hated every minute of this, but she continued to listen, "I promise this is my last call… for today at least." He inhaled before he spoke, "I'm uh- I'm here at the Dragonfly, sitting on the bench I built you, up on the hill, and um- I can't seem to take my eyes off of our initials that you carved into the top plank." He let out a sad laugh, "I know deep down that we need this. It doesn't make it any easier, but I know we need it." He sighed again, "It's just that I've been going crazy, and I can't even remember how I ever functioned without you in my life. Probably not great, I can tell you that." He paused as he tried to compose himself a little more before he continued on, but failed at masking his aching speech, "I'm sorry. I can't promise you that I won't keep calling," Lorelai let a small dismal laugh through her nose, "but I can promise you that I will find a way to fix this. We're gonna fix this… together. I promise." The line went silent, but just as Lorelai thought that that was the end of his message, she heard him sniffle – it was faint, but she heard it – before he said, "I can't lose you, Lorelai. I can't lose you…"

"End of message." The female robot notified. Lorelai slowly brought the phone down to press nine, "Message saved. There are no more new messages–" The voice cut off as Lorelai snapped her phone shut, replacing it gently on the end table.

She still hadn't taken notice to Billy yet, briefly forgetting her surroundings as she was so consumed in her voicemails. She covered her face with both hands, muffling her sobs as she permitted her tears to fall freely.

Billy quietly walked over to the table near the foyer and pulled a couple tissues from the box that sat perched on its top, before he made his way towards Lorelai. He softly cleared his throat, attempting not to startle her, but it was to no avail as she jumped slightly, clasping her hand over her heart.

Billy winced, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He apologized as he held out the tissues for her to take, "You okay?"

"Thanks." She said as she gladly accepted them, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Sorry, I'm kind of a mess, tonight." She gave a soft laugh as she rolled her eyes a bit, "Well, not just tonight."

"It's fine. I get it." He said with a small line between his brow, "Is everything okay?" He asked as he took up a seat on the coffee table a few feet in front of her.

Lorelai raised her wet blue eyes up to his and sighed heavily as she answered honestly, "No. But I'm hoping it will be." She consented one corner of her mouth to creep upward, "Six more days right?"

Billy's brows furrowed further as he nodded, "Lorelai, I want to make something clear. I want to be sure that you know that you don't have to go through with the no contact thing. That was merely just a suggestion, and you are in no way obligated to follow that."

"I know." She answered a bit confused at his statement.

"Are you sure? Because I don't want you to think that I'm going to be mad or something if you do decide to talk to your guy, before the seven days are over. This is your life, Lorelai, only you know what's best for it. I mean, I'm here to help in anyway I can, but that's it. You're the pilot. You're in control." He explained clearly, trying to make sure she knew where he was coming from.

Lorelai tilted her head as she laughed softly, "I wouldn't have gone through with any of it, if I didn't truly feel that it was the right thing for my situation. Am I sad? Yes, of course, but it doesn't mean I regret my decision. Luke and I, we have a lot of work to do, and I haven't even started. And as much as that little monster in me says that it is, I know that this isn't all on him."

Billy nodded, "Well, I may be a bit biased, but I'd agree with that little monster." He commented, causing Lorelai to let a real laugh spill from her lips. Pleased that he was able to twist her mood, Billy clapped his hands over his denim-clad thighs as he stood up, "Well, I better head out."

Lorelai rose to her feet as she followed him towards the front door, "Okay. What are you up to tomorrow?" She asked him as he opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.

Billy stopped just shy of the first step as he turned towards her, "Well, I figured I'd go fishin', hopefully the weather clears up a bit by tomorrow."

"Oh cool. That sounds fun."

"You wanna come along?" He offered politely.

Lorelai flashed him a small smile, "Thanks for the offer, but I actually have to get some work done. I brought some files and a flask drive with some things I need to tend to, since I'll be out for the week." Billy nodded and strolled down the stairs, "But what are you doing for dinner?" She called out, stopping him once more.

Billy looked up at her and shrugged, "Well if I'm lucky, I'll catch my dinner."

Lorelai smiled, "How about you let all the little fishies live, and you come back here for dinner? I'll even let you cook again."

"Oh well, who can pass up an offer like that?" He laughed, "You sure you not sick of me yet?"

"Pfft," She puffed, "I'm just praying you don't get sick of me before you leave town."

"I doubt it." He said casually, causing Lorelai's smile to widen, "Five too early?"

Lorelai shook her head, "No, five's great."

A crease on his left cheek appeared slowly as he flashed her a small smirk, "See ya, tomorrow." He bid as he turned and made his way down toward the creek's bend.

Lorelai swallowed thickly at that all too familiar indention on the side of his mouth as she distractedly replied, "Night."

Once he was no longer in sight, Lorelai spun on her heel and shut the door, carefully securing the lock in its place. She ambled back over to the end table as she retrieved her phone and trudged her way up the stairs. As she entered her room, she tossed her phone onto the large California king sized bed, before she waltzed into the bathroom.

After her much needed hot shower, Lorelai made her way over to the bed. She easily lowered herself to the top of the mattress as she rested her back up against the mound of pillows. She reached for her phone and flipped it open. She held down the button with the number three and waited until she saw the name pop up on her screen, notifying her that it was dialing.

"Lorelai?" The shrill volume of the voice came through her phone, causing her to wince as she pulled the phone away from her ear for a bit.

"Hi, Sook." She greeted, guiltily.

"Oh my gosh, where the hell have you been?" Sookie questioned loudly, "I've been waiting all day for your call. You said you'd call, but you never called. I was worried sick. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sweetie, I'm fine." Lorelai replied, "I'm sorry that I didn't call you earlier. I got out here and was just mesmerized by the place and kind of got swept up in it. Then, Luke kept calling and it was killing me not to answer, so Rory suggested to turn my phone on silent, so I wouldn't know if he called until I checked my phone, so I listened. Once I was getting ready for bed, that's when I checked my phone and got your message." She explained in a rush, truly remorseful for causing her friend to worry about her wellbeing, "I'm really sorry." She sighed a second apology.

"It's okay, honey. I'm just glad that you're okay." She giggled, easily forgiving her best friend, "You really had me in a tizzy for a while."

Lorelai smiled, "I can only imagine how you'll be once Davy is old enough to date. Those girls better look out." She teased lightly, relieved that her friend sounded more at ease.

Sookie giggled again, "Oh no, I already had a talk with him. He's not allowed to date until he's fifty."

"Sounds about right." She laughed.

"Yeah. Oh, hey!" Sookie began as she remembered something, "Luke came to the Inn today, looking for you."

Lorelai inhaled sharply, "You talked to Luke?"

"Yeah, he dropped by through the kitchen and I guess, he was gonna try to get me to tell him where you were, but I was a crazy woman and almost threw a knife at him,"

"Sookie-" Lorelai gasped, her eyes wide from the thought of Sookie's numerous kitchen incidents.

"I didn't though. Once I realized what was in my hand, I dropped it and started yelling at him a bit and proceeded to throw chopped onions at him instead. In the end, I told him you hadn't called me yet, so I didn't know."

Lorelai let out a gusty sigh, "Oh man."

"So, he doesn't know where you're at either, huh?" Sookie treaded lightly.

"No." She answered, "No one knows… except my parents." She grimaced as she purposefully left out Billy, knowing that Sookie might blow it out of proportion, seeing as he once again showed up at the exact place she was at.

Sookie's brows raised to her hairline, "Your parents?"

"Yeah," Lorelai laughed ruefully, "They actually helped get this place for me."

"Wow."

"Yeah, tell me about it, but Sook, if I tell you where I am, you have to promise me, that you won't tell anyone."

"Not even Luke?" Sookie asked, warily.

"Especially Luke."

"Are you anywhere, that you're not supposed to be?" Sookie asked, hesitantly, praying that her friend hadn't done something she'd later regret.

Lorelai instantly picked up on her insinuation, "What? No! Of course not, Sookie. I'm here alone, I swear. I just don't want Luke knowing yet, because if he does, I have a feeling that he'll definitely come out here and try to get me to come back before the seven days are over, and that'll just defeat the whole purpose of all of this."

"Okay, okay. I get that. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to accuse you of anything." Sookie apologized.

"It's okay. Do you want me to tell you where I'm at?"

Sookie shook her head, "You know what, you better not."

"Why not?" She asked in confusion.

"Because, you know better than anyone, that I am the biggest cheerleader when it comes to you and Luke, and I'm afraid if Luke comes back to ask me if I know where you are, and this time I actually know… I'll probably let it slip. And not because I would feel bad for him, but because I just want you two to be back on track. You know that I know, that there is no other two people in the world, that are more made for each other, than the two of you." Lorelai smiled at her friends words, "But… I also know that you need you some space and some time to figure things out, so for that, don't tell me, so if he does ask again, I can honestly tell him I don't know and not feel guilty about it."

"Thanks, Sookie." Lorelai sighed gratefully.

"Of course, sweetie. Now, you go rest up, so you can figure out ways to get you and Luke back to your happy place." She said with a giggle.

Lorelai inhaled deeply as she said, "Trust me, I'm trying."

"Good. Call me if you need anything, okay. I mean it."

"I will. Thanks again, Sook. Good night."

"Night." She bid as they both hung up.

Lorelai blew out an exhausted breath. She knew she was too tired to talk with Chris, so she scrolled to his contact and opened a new text message and typed;

Hi Chris,

Sorry I missed your call. I've been pretty busy, but I just wanted to say thanks for checking in. Talk soon.

She pressed send, before she scrolled to her mother's number and dialed, but to her relief, she was sent to her mother's voicemail. She left a short message saying that she did in fact find the place, and she also thanked her for her help, before she ended it by saying she'd call her tomorrow.

Lorelai stared at the four-lettered name that had been flashing on her screen all day. She couldn't get his broken voice out of her head. She knew she shouldn't call him, but she also felt an uncontrollable need to reassure him of her love and their mission.

She inhaled a deep breath, inwardly steeling herself as she held down the number two on her phone to call him. The first ring sounded, causing her to close her eyes, not knowing if she would be able to handle talking to him. The second ring gave out, her heart pounded loudly in her chest. The third ring chirped, the ring being softly drowned out by the blood rushing in her ears. The fourth ring sounded, and there was a short moment that Lorelai squeezed her eyes tighter, praying he wouldn't answer, right before it clicked to the female robotic voice, notifying her that Luke wasn't available.

The breath that she had been holding, rushed out of her as she prepared to leave a message. The beep sounded, indicating for her to start her recording. She spoke softly, and tried with all of her might, not to cry, but to no avail as mid way through, she couldn't hold it back. When she finally finished, she closed her phone and placed it on the nightstand next to her side of the bed and plugged it in to charge, forgetting to turn the ringer back on. She slipped under the covers and turned off the lamp, hoping desperately that tomorrow would be go by easier.


Authors Note: I don't even know if there are any more readers still out there, but I sure hope so. The LL ship should never die.