Well guys I sincerely apologise for the lack of updating but I have a good excuse. I have been very ill in bed for the past 2 weeks, yesterday was the first day I was up and about the house. Just had no energy/motivation to work while being sick. Anyway I'm on the road to recovery so that's why you're finally getting an update.

Anyone who reads my other fic, 'Affair to Remember', it will be updated soon too!

Anyway just a few shoutouts…

Tom thanks so much for your reviews, I always love them. You always put such effort into making them long and detailed with your very appreciated opinions so thank you for that. Rachel is back as a friend, I'm not going to put her as competition to Lorelai, more of an ally for Luke and just someone he can turn to. I never thought about it until recently, but without Lorelai Luke doesn't really have someone he can confide in so I felt sad for him…y'know cos in my mind he's a real person lol. Anyway I just hope that you will also like this chapter.

Rollsdownhill firstly never commented on the screen name, very cool! Also I didn't know you couldn't review twice, so guess I learn something new everyday. Thanks for trying though. If you need to get in contact you can send me an email or something, my address is in my profile…I think.

SmileyGGfan, first question…are you still a GG fan with a smile? Due to recent episodes I'm certainly not. To be honest I'm not even looking forward to new episodes that much, it's quite sad.

Oh-no-she-di'ent – I hate Christopher also and I agree. He's weak, whiny and self-involved…don't know what Lorelai sees in him when she had Luke. She obviously has a lot to learn. I agree about the chris-worshipping on the show, it's like people have forgotten all the other seasons and what a jackass he was/is.

Cindy – In the spirit of Christmas and the other twelve months of the year I will indeed find some sort of way to get rid of Chris. MAC truck anyone? Jk jk.

GMB loves Angel – I'm sure Chris would do whatever he could to take a dig at Luke, grrr. Haha yeah I feel sorry for Rory too, I think Chris always used Rory to remain close to Lorelai.


3 – Might As Well Be Strangers

The rest of the movie was spent in silence between Lorelai and Chris, it was the first time in a while that she didn't feel like mocking anything in the movie or commenting on the cute clothing. Chris moved his arm around her shoulders but she didn't relax herself into his touch. A while later when he turned to kiss her during a romantic scene in the movie his lips touched nothing but her cold cheek.

Luke and Rachel sat nearby, him trying to concentrate on the movie playing and Rachel constantly looking to check that Luke was okay.

"Would you please stop looking at me" Luke muttered after what seemed like the thousandth time that Rachel had glanced in his direction. He knew what she was doing, same thing the whole town did whenever the 'newlyweds' were anywhere near his vicinity. Deep down he was glad to have support from the town but it didn't make it hurt any less.

Just a year ago it had been Lorelai and him who were getting married, hell at times it seemed like they already were and just months later there she was...married to him.

"I'm just making sure you're okay" she soothed.

"You think sometime you're going to turn around and see me crying or something?" he countered.

"Well Luke in the past five years you could have become a crier" she joked, feeling better when she caught a small grin playing on the edge of his lips.

"I have not become a crier"

"Okay" she smiled, happy with herself that she had made him smile just a little.

When the credits rolled at the end of the movie it was Luke who first stood up, obviously having been anxious to leave since the start but he wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. Luke didn't even need to say anything to Rachel, without a word she stood up next to him, linked an arm through his and led him out of the bookstore without a backwards glance.

-l-l-l-l-l

Lorelai caught a glimpse of Luke as he was leaving, Rachel had an arm linked through his and he looked like he couldn't get out of the place fast enough. Her mind went back to a time years ago when she'd seen Luke and Rachel in the bookstore to see a movie together, it was soon after she'd told Luke to give Rachel a chance and next thing she knew they were a hand-in-hand, PDA-ing couple. Years ago seeing Luke with Rachel or any other woman gave her a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach but these days there was nothing funny about it. It hurt so much to think of him being intimate with someone else, to cook for someone else or even just sitting watching television. 'Hypocrite' she thought when she turned her attention back to her husband…she still couldn't get used to calling him that.

Christopher watched Lorelai watch her ex leave and part of him wanted to grab her and scream in frustration, another part made him wanted to kill Luke so he never came between them again but the issue of prison stopped him...plus the added factor that Luke was stronger than him. Honestly he wished they could leave the town and never look back, unfortunately he didn't seem to be able to talk Lorelai into it. However he would definitely keep trying.

"You ready?" Lorelai asked glancing to her husband.

"Sure" 'Now that you notice I'm still here'

Luke and Rachel walked back to the diner in a comfortable silence, neither in the mood to do any sort of analysis of what happened in the movie or about the situation in the bookstore. The two of them went upstairs to the apartment and as Rachel took a seat on the couch Luke grabbed a beer for each of them from the fridge.

-l-l-l-l-l

An hour passed and it seemed to Rachel that Luke was determined to forget everything for an evening; well she was sure there was just one person he wanted to forget. As the time passed and the blood alcohol level increased, each of them began to dwell on their problems, well Luke did anyway.

"Why couldn't they just move away somewhere? I mean when people get married that's what they do. But no they're living in the house that I had renovated for us!" Luke started to rant as he slammed the beer bottle on the coffee table in frustration.

"Luke c'mon" Rachel said in a soft tone to try and calm him down. He'd had a lot more to drink than her; she figured one of them should be of sound mind so they didn't do something stupid.

"He thinks he can buy Lorelai and everyone else in this town. How could she marry him after what we had...what I thought we had." Luke asked as he stormed over to fridge and pulled another beer from the fridge, he'd lost count long ago as to how many he'd had.

"Take it easy. You're going to have such a hangover tomorrow" she said helping him back to the couch after he stumbled over the chair.

"I don't care anymore. I really don't y'know? I like this beer though it's good. It's been a while since I've been this..." he trailed off.

"...drunk?" Rachel hinted as she moved the remainder of the beer from the fridge to under the sink. 'He won't remember there was another pack'

"Yeah that's it." He said chuckling in spite of himself. There had been a few times in the recent months were he had considered going out with the prime objective of getting drunk. However he never followed that impulse. When Lorelai had stopped by the hospital and he'd spotted the wedding ring it was his first thought, anything to forget for an evening. Of course he ignored the strong impulse as he had more important issues on his mind; his daughter's well-being was his paramount concern.

Tonight though, he just was tired of being his usual self and dealing with it all. For once he just wanted to be irresponsible and not think about everything; all his past mistakes…her mistakes, whether she would refer to them as that he doubted.

"Rachel what are you up to?" Luke called out, wondering where she had gone.

"Just clearing some stuff in the kitchen" she answered as she walked over to the couch and sat down next to him. She was a little tipsy but definitely a lot more aware than Luke was.

"You're my guest so just sit down. I'll clean later"

"Is there anything you want to talk about Luke?" she asked. He seemed to start ranting and then stop himself to begin stewing in his own thoughts.

"Mmm yes, you're very pretty. You always were, but I forgot how much" Luke muttered as he played with the bottom of her hair. Something about the moment reminded him of how they used to be when they were younger; he used to love to just run his fingers through her hair. It always surprised him just how soft it was.

"Oh yeah? Thanks" she laughed, knowing it was the alcohol talking but it was sweet. Luke was a sweet guy, sure he tried to hide it but he was always there when she needed him. If she was halfway across the world and needed something, no matter how things ended between them when she left…he would always come through.

"Yeah, I like your eyes, they're hazel…not many people have hazel eyes"

"We are a dying breed" 'Basically they're not blue like a certain someone's that's why you like them so much now' she thought, feeling instantly sorry for him.

"You want another beer?" he asked clambering over to the fridge but finding no beer. Scratching his head in confusion when he couldn't see any 'I could have sworn I had more'

"Yeah sure" she replied knowing well that she'd hidden the beer.

"Sorry I'm all out, we'll go to Doose's" he said walking over to grab her hand and started heading towards the door.

"Luke it's fine we don't need anymore, plus its late Doose's will be closed" she reasoned and pulled him back.

"Dammit" he muttered turning back so he was facing Rachel, their hands still joined.

It was a moment she was afraid of happening, although she couldn't deny that part of her was curious after years of going without it. The way he was looking at her, the way she suspected she was looking back at him was something she'd expected before she'd arrived…but not after she'd grasped the situation. When he leaned in to kiss her she stopped him with her hands flat on his chest and a questioning look.

"Rachel…" was all he said in the very low husky tone that used to be so familiar to her. It was strange hearing it now, it brought her back to a time years ago when she yearned for it.

"Luke" was all she replied, looking down at her hands on his chest. When she brought her gaze up to meet his she realized how much he'd missed a human connection. All day everyday he was around people but yet he was still missing a human touch, someone to want him. She wasn't sure whether she wanted it as much as he did or just wanted to be the one to help him like he'd helped her so many times, but when she leaned in and captured his lips with hers it felt like something that they both needed.

The act that followed was something they both remembered well, it was a routine they once knew by heart. Back in a time when they each knew what the other liked and how they liked it. It was comfortable and somewhat mechanical because of its familiarity; neither of them had to learn anything new. It was love once, two lives intertwined as one…now they both knew it was nothing but comfort and the need for a human connection.

The next morning…

Luke woke up the next morning with a bad headache and memories of the night before. His bed and apartment however were absent of Rachel and for a second he wondered if maybe she'd left, something that wouldn't have surprised him but he would have hated to think that she left because of what happened between them. When he noticed her camera case and some reels of film on the kitchen table he realised that she was probably just down in the diner working…where he should be.

Sure enough when he dressed and went downstairs he found Rachel in the diner tending to the regulars, including Kirk who was dressed up as Santa Clause. 'I don't even want to guess' he thought.

"Morning" Rachel smiled when she returned to the counter and wasn't surprised to get a shy nod in return. It seemed like a blast from the past when she'd woken that morning and had him next to her. Even more so when she'd pulled on his flannel shirt and went down to work in the diner, just like she'd done so many times before. However that just was what it was, in the past and as fun as it had been with Luke, the past was where their relationship would remain.

It was a few hours of awkward interaction between the two. When the mid-morning lull began Rachel took the opportunity to take Luke into the store room for a talk, away from the prying ears of Kirk and Miss Patty.

"So we should talk" she explained.

"Yeah I guess" he mumbled rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Luke it happened, we're both going though things, trying to get over people…"

"I just feel like I used you" he said in an awkward tone like it was a secret he was ashamed of.

"Luke, it's me, you think I'd let you use me? We were both lonely, it takes two to tango or whatever they say" she explained, surprised that he would even think that. 'She did a real number on you buddy'

"I guess"

"It was one night, it doesn't mean we're in love; it just means we're just…uh closer friends?" she said, laughing at herself when she couldn't think of the end of the sentence.

"So it's not going to be awkward?"

"Not from my side" she shrugged casually showing him that everything would be the same as it had been.

"Okay good" he said, letting himself relax a little, a small grin playing on the edge of his lips for a split second before he motioned toward the diner.

11.45 am - Doose's market

Lorelai walked through the market with her cart, she'd decided not to bring Christopher along this time since he just took out the food she put in and replaced it with a healthier option anyway…she never usually realised until she got home. Lorelai was sure at some stage during their 'honeymoon' period (which surprisingly she counts as the time before they were married) she would have found the grocery thing endearing, but now it was just annoying.

As she walked down the aisle examining the cereals in the aisle and just how much sugar she could intake with one bowl she heard the local gossips in the next aisle. Miss Patty, Babette and Mrs Casini were all debating the subject of Luke and Rachel, part of her wanted to run out of the store while singing at the top of her lungs and covering her ears. However the masochist in her stayed in the aisle to listen…

"I saw her come down in Luke's flannel shirt this morning"

"…and then they disappeared into the store room for a while earlier" Miss Patty added, seemingly pleased with herself that she'd stayed in the diner long enough to get that piece of gossip.

"Luke was in a better mood this morning. He didn't shout at Kirk once"

"Kirk said they were on a date last night, went to see a movie and were holding hands during"

"Plus he was late down to the diner this morning; Rachel was up before him"

"…poor honey he must have been very tired from whatever they did last night" Miss Patty said in a suggestive tone and the other two women laughed.

At that point Lorelai abandoned her eavesdropping position and left the cart in the aisle before quickly leaving the store. 'I don't need food that badly' she reasoned as she quickly walked home, keeping her eyes to the ground to avoid any townspeople. Last thing she needed was to get caught up in a conversation when all she wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed.

As she walked with her eyes down she spotted the shiny object on her left hand and stopped. 'You're married now, you can't think like this' a voice in her head argued and she almost made herself go back to the market to face her demons but she couldn't. Not yet anyway, there were only so many details she could take…anymore and she might just crack. That wasn't an option – not anymore.

Thanks for all the great reviews, you guys all rock. Just remember the more reviews I get and the faster I get them, the sooner it is you'll get the next update. Also the more lengthy and genuine your review is, the more I enjoy reading them so write what you want to say. No matter what, I am listening.

Next chapter: Christmas town festival. Luke & Lorelai scenes!