I think this chapter is kind of a filler, but I was told it isn't so see yourself and tell me ;)

Also I have to make a confession: I started writing new story with a friend under a new name we created together. I wasn't goint to tell you but one of the readers did what we thought wouldn't be possible: She found out I am writing it (at least part of it).

The story is called "Her dream" the name is "TheCooperation", you might want to check this story out.. except when you're a spoiler-phobe cause it contains spoilers for season 7

Chapter 34: Cotton Candy

"Lorelai, no I don't wanna go and eat there again. Let's go home" whined Luke while Lorelai dragged him through the mall.

It was two days before Christmas and they still had to do all the present shopping. Because of Liz and her family they had been occupied before and had been pleasantly surprised when TJ's brother had invited them and they had agreed. Liz had pointed out though, how much she wanted to spend Christmas with her big brother, but Luke had assured her, that it was okay.

The kids had celebrated like it had already been Christmas when the car had driven off, Gary safely buckled inside. Neither Luke nor Lorelai could say at this point that they were sad that they were leaving, Santa or not.
They would find a Santa somewhere else, or they would tell the kids something, but TJ was gone and that was good.

Finally they had some more time to themselves and could develop something similar to a normal schedule. They would wake up together in the morning, have breakfast together before they would wake the kids, then get them ready and take them together to pre-school and kindergarten.

Afterward Lorelai would go to the Inn after dropping Luke at the Diner. She had convinced him that he only could do the bills for as long as he wasn't able to walk without crutches. That was enough work, because there was so much to catch up on, so much that nobody but Luke knew how to book.

So he spent the time up in his office, doing bills and books until Lorelai would stop by with the kids after school was over. They would have lunch together, Lorelai would drop them off at home and Luke would look after the kids for as long as Lorelai was working. When she came back home he had already cooked, they would have dinner together, bring the kids to bed and then they finally had some alone time again.

In general they would tell each other what happened during their day, what the kids did, what happened in the diner or the Inn. They enjoyed this time so much, just being able to talk to each other again, while they lay in each others arms on the couch, the TV screen flickering in front of them, but muted. Sometimes they would take a bath together instead, or afterwards, or make love, before, after or in between.

They felt like a married couple again and not like a patient and his nurse, no matter how naughty she was. For Lorelai it was kind of a new experience after months without having him, that she had a partner again, someone to talk to and share everything with. The worries, the happiness, or just thoughts and randomness. From time to time during these talks on the couch she found herself listening in awe when he told her his opinion on something. She would sit on the couch, snuggled into him and stare at him, listen to the sound of his voice and what he was saying.

One time he had caught her staring at him, but it was Luke and he still knew her better than she knew herself and he also knew why she had been staring. He had given her a smile and a kiss on the nose and had gone on talking.

Now they were at the mall, shopping for Christmas presents for the kids and the rest of the family. Luke had always hated the mall, but this year with the crutches in the crowded mall his mood had reached a historical low point and Lorelai tried to lighten it up with Pizza, burgers, sandwiches and salad every few minutes in the food corner. It had only been two hours they had spend in the mall until now, well only for Lorelai. For Luke it was exactly 56 minutes too long. He wanted to go home, sit down and relax and not trying to make his way through a mall with crutches while his wife spend tons of money on dolls, clothes, toys in general, DVDs and books. So he had started to whine and was seconds away from going on his knees and beg her to leave.

"But Luke we still need something for you!" she told him and didn't stop walking until Luke grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

"Lorelai, I don't need anything I already have everything I want. So if you want to do me a favour then please let's just go home. My arms and hands are hurting like hell from the crutches and my legs have started shaking ten minutes ago." He told her. Her smile vanished and a worried look crossed her face.

"Why didn't you tell me? I thought it was just your normal mall- crankiness occurring." She told him ashamed and looked down. She felt for not thinking about how exhausting this was for Luke.

"No mall crankiness. Just tired and exhausted. Can we go now?" he asked and gave her a small smile to make her feel better.

"Yes sure. I'll come back tomorrow and get you your present" she said. Luke knew it was futile to try and talk her out of getting him a present, so he just nodded and gave her a quick kiss. Lorelai smiled shyly and together they walked to the car. Lorelai threw the several bags into the trunk and Luke got in on the passengers side in the meantime.

When they were on the highway back to Stars Hollow Luke turned the music down Lorelai had turned on.

"Hey, why are you turning out "Last Christmas"? It's a classic, you just have to sing along and it stops being annoying" she grinned.

"I will not sing along with a guy who got caught in a public bathroom doing… well… what he was doing. Actually I want to talk with you about something," he said.

"Oh my god! Where do you know from that he did it in a public bathroom?" she laughed.

"I watch the news," he shrugged a bit embarrassed.

"The bring reports about George Michaels love life on FOX news?" she teased him.

"He got arrested for it," Luke sighed, knowing he couldn't win this.

"Yeah I know, but I am shocked that you know. Now I have the proof: You read my Instyle magazines!" she laughed.

"I did not"

"Did too!" she said and pointed her index finger to his face.

"Can we drop this now. As I was saying I wanted to talk to you about something," he tried it again.

"I am listening, but I will not forget this, bucko," she giggled. Luke gave her a desperate look.

"Really I am listening. And now shoot," she told him.

"Okay. I wanted to ask you what you think of going to the Christmas festival tonight," he said.

"What?" she asked if she hadn't understood him. Her voice was toneless and all color had left her face.

"I want us all to go to the Christmas festival tonight," Luke said again and stroked over her right hand, which was gripping the steering wheel so tight that her knuckled turned white.

"You hate festivals" she said after a long time of silence, when she had gotten over the initial shock.

"I do not hate the festivals and you know that. I pretend to hate them so you can convince me to go out there and pretend that I am not having fun," he reminded her.

"Yeah right. But… but… I don't think it's a good idea to go to the festival tonight," she said then.

"Why?" he asked, although he already knew the real reason she didn't want to go.

"Because I have a lot of things to do at the Inn before Christmas and you are exhausted and it's too cold out for the kids," she rambled.

"They spent half the day outside yesterday building a snowman, I will have recovered until then and you don't work in the evenings," he told her and raised his eyebrows.

"I just don't wanna go," she said then. They had arrived at the house and Lorelai turned off the engine and hurried into the house without taking the bags with her. Luke got out of the car, slammed the door shut and walked into the house.

"Ah Geez" he said when he walked into the house and found her purse on the stairs and he knew she had fled upstairs. So he took his last strength and made his way upstairs with the crutches. As expected he found her in the bedroom.

She was sitting on the bed, facing away from him and he knew she was crying. Without saying anything he sat down beside her and pulled her in his arms. Immediately she slung her arms around his middle and buried her head in his shoulder.

"I don't wanna go!" she cried. Luke held her for a while, then pulled back and forced her to look at him.

"Nothing will happen. I will stay by your side all the time and nothing will happen," he said.

"You don't know that! What if another drunken kid decides to drive? It could happen again Luke" she sniffed.

"Lorelai accidents can happen everywhere, not only at town festivals. I mean, how long have you lived in this town?"

"You know how long," she replied, still stubborn.

"Yeah I know how long and I have been living here even longer. Hell, my grandfather already lived here. And in the history of this crazy town are exactly two major car accidents: The one my mother died in and the one Sara and I were in. That's it. Since 18 hundred and something: Two car accidents. Nothing will happen Lorelai. We all need to get over the fear of going to a town festival. You always loved them and the kids do to. I want you to have fun at those festivals again and not dread each day that they are there." He said but she didn't look convinced yet.

"Let us go there tonight with the kids. We will buy them some cotton candy, you can have some as well if you like and then we walk around, look at the booths these loons decorated and then we go back home. Just for a few minutes, let us go there. Sara is scared as soon as she sees the decorations, as well as Laila and Will. We have to get over this fear and live like before again."

"I will never be able to live like before again. I nearly lost my daughter and my husband that will be burned in my brain forever," she told him and then suddenly kissed him, but Luke pulled back.

"Please, let us go to the festival. I don't want the kids to be scared of the festivals for the rest of their lives," Luke explained and gave her another peck.

"Me neither," she admitted.

"Good," he smiled and hugged her.

"I never thought I would live the day when you would beg to go to a festival" her muffled voice could be heard a few seconds later. Luke only rolled his eyes.

That evening, while the whole family was still gathered around the table after dinner, Luke broke the news to the kids.

"Hey, we have a surprise for you," he said and the kids immediately started yelling.

"What daddy? What surprise?"

"For me too?"

"Tell me mommy!" they all yelled excitedly.

"Hey, quiet! Your mommy and I decided that as a surprise we will grab our jackets now and then we will pay a quick visit to the Christmas festival," he said as excitedly as possible and as soon as the words had left his mouth the room dropped silent. The kids were only staring at him, not saying a word and especially Sara seemed shocked.

"We don't wanna go," William said then and spoke out loud what they were thinking.

"Well, too bad, cause your mother and me want to go and you can't stay here by yourself. So go and grab your jackets and then we'll go," Luke said and pulled Sara in his lap.

"We'll be right there Baby, nothing will happen," he whispered in her ear and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Slowly they had made their way to the festival and William, who did not want to admit that he was scared, had found several excuses to win time such feeding his pets, needing another jacket or having to pee two seconds before they wanted to leave. Shortly before they reached the town-square Sara had slipped her hand out of Lorelai's and had grabbed Luke's arm. William had grabbed his father's other arm and Laila held Lorelai's hand so tight that she thought her fingers would fall off. Because Lorelai needed a connection to Luke and his hands were occupied with the crutches and his arms with the kids, she placed her free hand on his back and stroked over it. Luke wanted to say something at first, because he felt uncomfortable about her public display of affection, but on the other hand it calmed him and he knew she needed it to calm herself as well.

"Oh there you are dolls. We weren't sure you would come," Miss Patty said when she saw them and grabbed herself a glass of punch before she walked up to them.

"Isn't it beautiful with all the snow and those twinkling lights? It's really magical, isn't it?" she smiled and pinched William's cheek.

"Urgh" he made quiet, but not quiet enough. Miss Patty had heard him, but she knew the boy and so she just laughed. He was just like his father.

"And you two my angels when will you come back to my ballet classes? The other girls are missing you and honestly I am really lost without you two because you are my best ballerinas. This grace and elegance while you are dancing, no one else has that," she gushed.

"Mommy, can we go next time?" Sara asked suddenly and startled both of her parents.

"Uhm, yes sure you can," she told them and both girls smiled.

"Have you two lovebirds already tasted the punch?" Miss Patty put her attention back to Luke and Lorelai.

"No, we haven't and we won't because I don't think it's a good idea to get drunk when the kids are here," Luke grumped.

"Rory was funny when she was drunk and Logan too" Laila said and giggled. The kids had seen their big sister and her boyfriend drunk one time when they had woken up the whole house at night with their drunken singing.

"Well I can sing even when I am not drunk," Lorelai laughed and started to sing "Jingle Bells", which caused the kids to scream out in horror, while Luke only laughed.

"Daddy there is Davey at the candy stand. Can I have something too?" William asked then and started pouting already when he asked the question.

"Why don't we go over there together and get something. Some chocolate covered fruit for your daddy and something completely unhealthy for us, okay?" Lorelai grinned and nudged Luke.

"Yay! I want some cotton candy!" William yelled and ran off to the booth.
From that moment on the ban was broken and the family simply enjoyed being at the festival together. From time to time something like fear flickered in the eyes of one of them, but then the looked around and saw each other and everything was right in the world.

Please tell me what you think

TBC