Okay, so this chapter is picking up where Chapter 17 left off. For now, only an epilogue remains so I want to thank those of you who read and left me comments; you really gave me strength as a writer.

Chapter 19 – Making Up and Making Out

Rory stared at Luke in surprise. In her misery regarding her and Jess's latest fight, she'd somehow forgotten that today was the big day. Luke had returned to Stars Hollow.

Most of the diner patrons had paused over their food, staring at Luke avidly, followed by glancing between him and Rory as if waiting for some sort of reaction.

Though nobody knew for sure why Luke had gone fishing, it had only taken a few days before the innumerable amount of rumors regarding his absence had started flying. And most of them had to do with a believed falling out between Luke and Lorelai. Although Rory had noticed that Miss Patty seemed unconcerned and had assured several people that there was nothing wrong, which was unusual for the town gossip.

The thought of her mother's anxious behavior all week due to Luke almost made Rory smile, but then she remembered that he was not necessarily returning with good news. His phone call suggested that he was, but he still might have changed his mind in the time since then.

She continued to stare at him, wondering if he was returning to their lives as her future stepfather or yet another man in her mother's long line of boyfriend that didn't work out. It almost seemed ironic to her that for once, it wasn't her mother who would be potentially calling off the relationship.

Luke resembled a deer caught in headlights when his eyes focused on Rory. She wasn't sure if it was because she slightly resembled her mother or he just hadn't expected to see either of them so soon. At any rate, he looked incredibly uncomfortable at the sight of her. She watched as he shifted awkwardly on his feet and swung his bag from one shoulder to another.

After a minute of two had passed in uncomfortable silence, he finally stiffly said, "Rory. How are you?"

"Hi Luke. I'm good. How are you?" she responded, managing to hide her disappointment. She wanted some sort of sign that he was coming back to her mother, and that together they were going to build a family. But Luke's face was as unreadable as ever.

"I'm good," he said quietly, and his voice gave nothing away. She wasn't sure why this situation was so awkward, but she glanced away anyway.

"Luke! It's good to have you back," Lane said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had overcome the diner.

"Hi Lane," Luke said, moving towards the stairs. "And what's everyone staring at? Can't a man go fishing?" he added gruffly.

Everyone snapped back to their food and conversations, acting as though they'd never been staring in the first place, and the diner began to clamor once more with voices and the sounds of silverware and plates clinking.

Rory felt another surge of disappointment as Luke began to disappear, but just as he turned around the corner, he shot her a reassuring smile. It wasn't much, but it let Rory know everything that she needed to know. He was going to forgive her mother. They were going to get married, and someday, they would be a family.

She heard his feet carry him upstairs, and she wondered if today would be one of those days a person remembered for as long as they lived.

And upon hearing that bell ring once more and seeing Jess's startled expression that mirrored Luke's earlier one, she knew that it was.

The moment Jess's eyes rested on Rory, she found herself locked in one of the most intense stares Rory had ever been part of. She wanted to run toward him, to touch him to make sure he was actually real but the tension in the air and his troubled appearance stopped her. They had only been apart for a few days, and somehow he already felt different to her. What happened? she wondered as he stood incredibly still in the doorway, clearly unsure of how to react in this situation.

Everyone in the diner was watching once more, and Rory resisted the urge to yell at the whole group. Do they nothing better to do? Of course they don't. They live in Stars Hollow. She resisted the urge to scream at them as they watched her and Jess like the pair were a mildly interesting television program. You can't watch this! This is a personal moment, her mind cried.

After a long silence, Jess broke his stoic pose and gestured toward outside, and Rory quickly nodding, willing to do anything to get out of the suddenly stifling diner.

As she exited, she noticed Brian and Zach's heads so close together it was almost humorous, and she wondered if she were about to be the subject of yet another song. Just let this song have a happy ending, she prayed.

Jess's long legs quickly strode away from her once the diner door had slammed behind her. Despite his silence, she knew she was supposed to follow. As he continued to travel at a pace she'd never knew he was capable of, she was reminded of another one of their moments.

"I get to leave first," Rory cried and began quickly walking away from Jess.

Jess waited her retreating back for only a split-second, and then said, "Rory, wait! Stop!" and took off after her.

They had continued in that fashion, darting around the town like, as Jess had said, "idiots." She now resisted the urge to ask him where he'd learned to walk like that, and the thought made her burst out laughing.

They were half way to the bridge, and Jess wheeled around in surprise. Apparently, random bursts of laughter are not part of the agenda, Rory thought rather meekly as he surveyed her in surprise and almost dismay.

"What's so funny?" he muttered, his brown eyes piercing her blue. His stance was still stiff, and she desperately wanted to hug him, to wipe away the tautness in his face.

The small smile from the memory faded from her face at she watched him; something about him seemed so different. She wondered if this was a relic from his visit with Karen and hoped it wasn't a permanent change.

"Look, I don't want to waste any more time, Rory," he said wearily, running a hand through his dark hair. "I love you. It's that simple. I'm sick of saying the wrong things or things that should have never been said. I just want to be with you. So I need to know, do you love me or not?"

His directness surprised her, and she fumbled for a reply. "Um… wow. Just like this?"

"What's the point of beating around the bush? We never know how much time we have left, so what's the point of wasting it? Don't think about the details right now, Rory, just answer the question. Do you love me? Are you willing to give us another shot?" His words were quiet yet passionate, and Rory wondered where they were coming from. Jess had never displayed any concern for time before.

Holding her breath, Rory forced herself to count to 10. And in those 10 seconds, she thought of every reason for her and Jess to be together, and every reason for them not to be together. Thousands of feelings flooded her mind, and she stared at his eyes.

Finally, she only said three words, and they weren't the ones that most people would have expected, but they meant the world to Jess. "I'm in, Dodger." She closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his. As they kissed, Rory finally felt the rigidness melt away from his body as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

Jess pulled her closer. He was finally home.

---

Pressing the phone close to his ear, Luke prayed that Lorelai picked up. He wasn't sure if he could make this call again; collecting the courage to do it in the first place had taken him ten minutes alone. He wasn't even sure why he was so nervous, only that he was.

"Hello?" her voice answered, and just the sound of it made Luke want to hold her close. When was the last time he'd touched her… he couldn't even remember. That knowledge alone proved to him how very far they'd gone from their initial path, and he vowed to fix the mess the two of them had found themselves.

"Hi Lorelai," he replied softly, hearing her gasp as she recognized his voice.

"Luke! Are you home? Are you in Stars Hollow?" she asked excitedly, though he could detect the nervousness too.

"Yes. Can I see you?"

"Of course… I'm at the Inn," she responded.

"See you soon."

Hanging up the phone, Luke smiled. It was time to go and get the girl.

---

Placing the phone on its receiver, Lorelai thought she might vomit from nervousness. Nothing in his voice had told her what to expect, and she thought she might be sick from the waiting. Remember the phone call, she told herself optimistically, clinging to his words.

"I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you."

"In a good way?"

"In a good way."

She ran the soft words through her mind repeatedly, knowing they were her own haven until she found out the truth. But what if he'd changed his mind? What if he's coming here to tell me he can't do this… Suck it up Gilmore. Whatever he decides, you stand by him. You owe him that much, at least.

Watching the Inn door vigilantly, Lorelai didn't hear Michel come up behind her or his words until he shouted her name. "Lorelai!"

Jumping at his unexpected presence, she turned around to face him in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry, Michel. What's up?"

"You know why I enjoy this job so much? Everyone is wonderfully attentive. It really makes you feel special and warm."

"Look, this isn't a good time for your sarcasm. What's up?"

"Well, if you had been listening, you'd know that I'm back from my break, so you are welcome to take yours," he answered snottily.

As the door to the Inn opened, Lorelai crossed her fingers and said vaguely said, "Sure, I'll take that break now…"

Luke rounded the corner, looking like a dream come true, and she resisted the urge to throw herself over him, screaming, "take me back, please!"

Instead, she shot him a warm smile and moved toward the stairs, indicating to him to follow so that they would have private place to talk about his decision. Whatever that was. For better or worst.

However, she paused on the first step when he didn't follow. Her stomach fell as she realized what this meant. Was he going to do this in front her employees and guests? Would they all know what a horrible person she was? She couldn't imagine why he would do this to her, though she knew that this was nothing compared to what she'd done to him.

"Luke?" she asked hesitantly, her eyes begging him to follow her. However, he ignored her and instead, moved toward her quickly. He seized her left hand, removing the ring she'd been unable to bring herself to remove.

Tears sprang to her eyes as Lorelai realized this was the end of her and Luke. Despite everything, he was going to end everything they'd shared because of her stupidity. In front of all of her employees and guests. Don't cry. Don't cry! her mind shouted as she stared at him miserably, waiting for the inevitable.

But instead of speaking the words that she was dreading, Luke did the very last thing she would have ever expected. Dropping to one knee, Luke stared straight into her eyes with more passion than she could have ever imagined.

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, will you elope with me on June 3rd and spend the rest of the summer planning a wonderful celebration of our love with our friends, family, and town?"

Releasing the tears, Lorelai couldn't fight the broad grin that overtook her face. It was the perfect proposal, better than any of her dreams.

"Yes, yes!" she cried happily, throwing her arms around him as he stood to embrace her tightly. His familiar lips quickly sized her own, completing the best moment of her life. Forgetting everyone around them, she kissed him back with everything she had.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear when they broke apart.

"I love you," she replied, hugging him tightly.

Grasping his hand, she turned to face a surprised Michel. "I'm taking the rest of the day off. Could you please mark off Room 4? It's going to be occupied for some time." Smiling at Michel's expression of disgust and the cheers of the other people watching, she pulled Luke up the stairs, letting the warmth of his presence and proposal take over. There was no doubt, Lorelai Gilmore had never been this happy in her life.

Glancing over at him and seeing the same feelings mirrored in his own eyes, Lorelai smiled. She'd finally found the one worth fighting for, and the one that was willing to fight for her. She'd found love.

As Luke closed the door and turned to face her, Lorelai could only note how truly wonderful it was.