Author's note: Yes, I have come back from the dead as a zombie to finish up this story. Ok, not really, I've been alive this whole time, it's just this story got lost under a wave of everything else in my life for awhile. But I want to finish it, because I still think this is a better (or just different) way they could have reconciled. So, this is basically like part one of the end, I have most of the second part, the real end, written out, but I want to post this part now just in case I get kicked off the computer before I finish typing it up. Merry Christmas. :-)
Several days passed, and time seemed to fly by. Before they knew it, it was Christmas Eve.
It was seven o'clock at night, and the Winter Festival was in full swing. The multitudes of dark, gray clouds looked divine against the blackness of the sky, and through it all you could still see a few bright stars peeking their way through.
But what was an even more marvelous sight than the night sky was the scene below it. There wasn't any snow layering the ground like there had been the year before, but it was a beautiful picture nonetheless. Tiny icicle-like lights were hung throughout the trees in the town square. The Christmas decorations has been refurbished and were strewn throughout the many booths, which ranged from make-your-own-Christmas-cookie to the classic knock-down-all-the-pins. The whole town in general had an aurora of holiday joy that was simply an exquisite thing in itself. It was so strong, it was hard for it to not rub off on you.
Lorelai had been debating on whether to stay home with a cup of rich hot cocoa and A Christmas Story or to just suck it up and go to the festival since mid-afternoon. She kind of wanted to go to the festival, and she didn't want to just stay home and mope around, but she was afraid of what going to the festival would do to her. She was afraid that it would bring back too many painful memories of the festival the year before. When everything had begun to go downhill.
Fifteen minutes after the festival has started, she had been sitting on her couch at home, her warm, fuzzy socks on her feet, still trying to decide what to do, when Sookie showed up on her doorstep. She was determined to make Lorelai go the festival with her whether she wanted to or not. She wasn't about to let her best friend sit home alone on Christmas Eve.
"Sookie? What are you doing here?"
"You're coming with me," Sookie replied, grabbing Lorelai's wrist and attempting to pull her outside.
"Whoa, whoa, hold on a second there. First of all, I'm not going out there, in the cold, without shoes at least, unless it's an emergency or David Bowie's across the street. Second, where are you trying to take me?"
"The festival. I'm taking you to the festival, there is no way I am letting you stay home alone on Christmas Eve."
"Sook, I-"
"No! I am not taking no for an answer! We will take Davey and Martha around to all the little game booths and eat those hot, cinnamon pretzels you love, and try and figure out how Patty came up with whatever odd sort of dance routine she's having the kids do, and we will have fun."
"Well, I can't say no to a cinnamon pretzel."
"Okay then, let's go!"
Lorelai made her way to the closet to grab her coat and her shoes, and five minutes later, they were off. Before Lorelai knew it, they were at the town square.
To any outsider, Lorelai appeared to be having a good time, and in a way, she was. She enjoyed watching all the kids running around, playing games, listening to people chatting it up about what they got for so and so for Christmas, watching Kirk catch the pretzel machine on fire (a long while after she had gotten hers, thankfully). It's just that she was oddly quiet. She was, like she had been many times in the past few months, drifting off in her mind, getting lost in her thoughts.
Despite all this thinking she had been doing over the months, she was still as confused as ever.
The diner emptied out about an hour and a half earlier than it normally did. It seemed like the whole town was at the festival. Luke decided to use the extra time to do some weekly cleaning of the diner. At least this way he'd have an excuse to stay in the diner if Liz dropped by and tried to convince him to go to the festival again. She had tried two weeks ago, and a week ago, and a couple days ago, and earlier that very day, but he had said no each time and insisted that her and TJ and Doula go and have a good time without him.
He was never the happiest camper during the holidays. Mostly it was because it reminded him so much of his mom, how she used to love the holidays more than any other time of the year. Of course, that year he had more that just the memories of his mother to put him in a gloomy mood.
Anna seemed have become even more resistant of him spending time with April, because about a week before, she had called Luke and told him that April wouldn't be able to spend any time with him from Christmas Eve until New Years, since they would be going to April's grandparent's house.
He as he got out the mop and began to scrub the floor, he thought about what he would do for the rest of the night. He'd probably just finish up in the diner, and then go upstairs and fall asleep to some dumb Christmas movie...
Just the thought depressed him. He considered maybe just dropping my the festival, just for a bit...
But what if he ran into her?
That had been his main concern all along. He didn't know what to say to her yet. He didn't even know what he was thinking about it all yet. It was obvious that she was the one who left that early Christmas gift on the steps of the diner, but he once again tried to figure if it could be anyone else.
He knew he was wasting his time. It had been her, he knew it had been her. He just wasn't sure what she meant by it.
Was it just a simple Christmas present? What if it was just a gift in celebration of their revived friendship? Or, maybe it was really a sign... maybe she really was making the first move...
He wasn't sure. There was no way he could be sure. And he couldn't do anything about it until he was sure.
He was stuck. What a great was to spend Christmas Eve.
Less than a hundred yards away, Lorelai was surprised to find that she was actually enjoying herself, but at the same time she felt a hollow sort of sadness, hitting her deep inside. They were walking along the side of the square, the side closest to Luke's. She couldn't help but look over at the diner. As she turned her head for what she had planned to be a quick glance, her eyes immediately met with none other than Luke's, who was standing outside the diner door, in his coat and gloves, looking like he was going to walk across the street before he stopped in his tracks when he saw her turn towards him. They stood where they were, feeling no awkwardness, no embarrassment, feeling hardly anything at all, just looking.
Right then, Davey saw something he liked, and ran off. Sookie called after him and continued to go forward, but suddenly looked back, realizing Lorelai was no longer beside her. It took her only a second to realize what was going on.
"Go," she said, in a soft, warm tone.
Lorelai turned her head towards her, her face showing a glimpse of panic, and Sookie gave a small nod and a faint, reassuring smile, before continuing after Davey, not giving her a chance to back out. Lorelai quickly looked back towards Luke, not wanting to loose this chance, and slowly stepped off the curb, walking towards the diner. As she got closer, Luke began to walk forward as well, and they met in the street, close to the curb by the diner.
They stood in silence for just a moment before Lorelai took in a shallow breath, let a small, friendly smile come across her face, and prepared to speak.
"Hey."
He smiled back.
"Hey."
tbc
One more, guys, just one more, I swear! I am going to try to get it done before Christmas, but if not I'll try to get it done in the next few days.
