Hello to all my adoring fans! Thanks very much for reviewing so enthusiastically! I truly appreciate it! And many thanks to 'Franala' for providing us with the word "shenanigans" in the last chapter. Which word or word(s) will I choose next? The anticipation is killing me!

Enjoy my friends, enjoy!

The glass broke.

They collapsed inelegantly onto the bed. Luke hovered above her, breathing heavily. Immense heat exuded from their bodies. She trembled beneath his fiery gaze. She finally understood.

Seconds passed, seconds of indefatigable silence. Lorelai closed her eyes briefly, breaking their intense connection.

"Lorelai?" Luke gently inquired.

Her eyelids fluttered open. "I uh, hope you didn't like that glass too much," she joked. Humor was familiar, god how she needed familiar right now.

Luke's brow creased. "No," he began, "I loved it." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Lorelai's mouth twitched, but she held strong. Another twitch. The laughter was threatening to spill over. She couldn't possibly hold it in any longer. Her body shook, the full-fledged giggling ensued.

Luke couldn't help but follow suit. He laughed until his body hurt, extinguishing any doubts that he didn't have it in him. He collapsed beside her on the bed, their breathing returning to normal.

"I'll have to remember to buy you a set of those glasses for Christmas," Lorelai teased. She was comfortable. That invisible security blanket had wrapped itself around her once more.

He turned to face her. "Keep the receipt," he warned.

Lorelai grinned. Pushing her head deeper into the pillow, she yawned. "So I guess we should clean up the glass, huh?"

"We?' Luke questioned. "You were the one who dropped it!" he slyly remarked.

Lorelai immediately sat up. "It's your fault I dropped it!" she countered.

Luke mirrored her position. "Who tripped over the bed?"

"Well if you hadn't cornered me, then I wouldn't have tripped!" she barked.

"If you hadn't splashed me in the face…then we wouldn't be having this conversation!" he reasoned.

Lorelai sighed in defeat. "But it was fun, wasn't it?"

Luke smirked, "You bet." The giddy smile on Lorelai's face indicated her satisfaction with his answer. He rose from the bed. "You stay put. I'll take care of the glass."

Her mouth opened in shock, "Then what was that whole argument about?"

"I just wanted you to accept the blame." He walked toward kitchen, a smile plastered to his face.

She rolled her eyes in utter annoyance. Luke had one-upped her and she was none too pleased.

Such a strange series of events had taken place here this evening. It was all so surreal, so dreamlike. Lorelai felt different. Things had changed. She was scared and exhilarated and completely uncertain of how to proceed. Life was precarious indeed.

Luke soon returned with the necessary tools to remove the glass. He knelt down, working silently, unaware of the eyes that were focussed on his every movement.

"Hey Luke?" she began, "um, how long are you planning on keeping me prisoner here?"

He muffled a laugh. "Is there someplace else you'd rather be?" he poked.

She was caught off guard, "I uh, well, no - not really. I just wondered if perhaps…you might have a timeframe…or something."

He loved to see her squirm. "This wasn't a premeditated kidnapping Lorelai. I don't have an itinerary if that's what you mean."

He was being difficult. She forced a smile. "Tomorrow is Saturday." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Yes," he concurred.

"I need to be at the Inn tomorrow. There are some shipments being delivered." She seemed to be thinking out loud.

"Ok." Where was she going with this?

"And I'm going to have to be there super early to receive said shipments."

He grunted exasperatedly. "What are you getting at Lorelai?" It was like pulling teeth.

"Well, maybe I should go there now so I can…"

"No," he interrupted.

"But I," she started.

"Out of the question," he finished.

"Ok. But can't I just…"

"Impossible," he muttered.

"What is?" she wondered.

"You are!" he abruptly clarified.

She was quiet for a moment. "Fine, you win," she relinquished. "But I'm taking the bed!"

He smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Good," she grinned. Relaxing her head back on the pillows, she rolled onto her side, facing away from him. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

He watched her body relax, breathing becoming softer. Convinced that she had entered the subconscious realm, he cleared the remainder of glass and safely discarded it. Next, he tended to his personal hygiene needs. He made up his sofa bed while brushing his teeth – a firm believer in multitasking. And he too collapsed into dreamland.

They needed their sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long and exciting day!

The moon was full, the air warm and light. It was a night for dreaming. Lorelai dreamt of wonderful things: cream coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels.

Luke dreamt of manly things: baseball games and carpentry classes. He slept right through his alarm. Perhaps his dream about winning a shopping spree at the Home Depot was the culprit. Nevertheless, he rose at an early hour still, with an overwhelming urge to build something. He rubbed his aching neck, and headed towards the bathroom.

Lorelai slept soundly still. Her dreams now filled with a certain flannel-wearing diner man…and coffee, always coffee.

As Luke exited the bathroom, he noticed a smile draped across Lorelai's face. He laughed inwardly, wondering how unparalleled her dreams were to his. He thought it best to start on breakfast.

The sounds of eggs cracking and bacon frying were better than any alarm clock ever could be. Lorelai awoke with a start. She was positively famished and raring to go. Sliding out of bed, she crept silently behind Luke and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Good morning Vietnam!"

Luke nearly flung the eggs out the window in sheer panic. He turned to her. "What the hell was that?" His face was red with fury. Well, it might have been embarrassment.

Lorelai was laughing hysterically. "J-Just making s-sure you…were…awake!" she struggled to finish, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Luke shook his head in frustration, "You're damn right I'm awake!"

Giggling.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" he barked.

More giggling.

"You almost lost your eggs!" That was the dagger.

And the giggling stopped. "Yeah, you're right. Too far?" Lorelai took her food very seriously.

"You were lucky this time." His tone softened.

"You did well. Reflexes like a cat," she teased.

"Just eat it," he quipped, placing a massive plate on the table for her.

"Where were you when NIKE was deciding on a slogan?" She couldn't stop now; she was on a roll.

Luke grumbled a response and continued with his own breakfast, minus the egg yolks and the bacon of course. They needed their strength. Today was the big day. Today was D-Day!

To Be Continued

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