Purgatory
Lorelai saw Lane and Rory deep in conversation and then Lane turned and stomped away as Rory tossed what appeared to be a perfectly good cup of coffee into the nearest trash can. As she caught up to her daughter she called, "Hey, where's Lane going?"
"Away," Rory muttered as she started walking toward home.
Lorelai took a deep breath as she tried to catch up again and said, "Okay, you've been in this mood for a week now and while I love the unexpected ups and downs of motherhood, I've got to say I'm tired of Goofus and I'd like my Gallant back."
Rory snapped, "You can't just say a normal sentence right? Just 'Hey, let's talk' is too dull for you."
Lorelai grabbed Rory's arm to stop her and said, "Hey lets talk."
Rory glared at her mother and asked, "About what? Oh wait I know. How about you and Mr. Medina?"
"What?" Lorelai asked, wondering for a moment how this all got turned on her, but then remembered Max's message on her machine.
"I've heard you've gotten back together again," Rory said pointedly as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Did you talk to Max?" Lorelai asked, stalling for time.
Rory nodded and said snidely, "He had me stay after class today to talk about my difficult breakup situation."
Lorelai shook her head and said, "We are not dating. We have been talking and we just now decided to maybe start dating, but there has been no dating, uh, for real."
"Why didn't you tell me you'd been talking?" Rory demanded.
Lorelai sighed and hung her head a little as she said, "Because it was too complicated, and now it's even more complicated."
"Because you didn't want me to know," Rory accused.
"No, because it was complicated to start with, and now there's Luke and you and I don't know how I feel about all of this," Lorelai blurted. "On top of all that there was the whole rubbing it in aspect to consider," she explained.
"Whoa, whoa, back up," Rory said as she held up her hand to stop her. "I get that you think it's complicated, I guess it is, but what does Luke have to do with this and what are you rubbing in?" she asked.
Lorelai sighed and said, "You were so miserable about Dean. What was I supposed to do? Walk in and say, 'Sorry about you and Dean but I got Max back and aren't we happy!' Would that have been good?"
"That would've been great," Rory said sarcastically.
"I was going to tell you, okay? I just wanted to give you some space and a chance to come up for air. I was trying to protect you, that's all," Lorelai said gently.
Rory rolled her eyes and began to walk away, so Lorelai followed her calling, "Hey!"
Rory shook her head and said, "You know, actually, it doesn't matter whether you tell me about Max or not because you're just gonna break up again anyway."
"Excuse me?" Lorelai gasped, shocked by the venom in her daughter's tone.
Rory shrugged insolently and said, "Well that's what you do best."
Lorelai held up one hand and said firmly, "Hey, stop right there."
Rory hugged herself defensively and said, "You'll break up, cry, get back together, break up. It doesn't really matter. I'd rather not have to keep track, so tell me when you're down to the final inning."
Lorelai gaped at her and then said, "You know what, that is way too snotty a thing even for alternate universe Rory to say. I'd like an apology," she said sternly.
"Fine. I apologize. Let's go home," Rory said shortly.
Lorelai raised her eyebrows and said, "Yeah, let's go home and try that apology again."
Rory started heading toward home again, but Lorelai stopped in front of the market. When Rory looked back over her shoulder she asked, "What are you doing?"
Lorelai gestured to Doose's and said, "We need light bulbs."
"We're fine," Rory said dismissively.
Lorelai sighed and said, "We're in the dark. It'll take a minute. I assume you won't come in."
"Is it Wednesday?" Rory asked archly.
"No," Lorelai answered.
"Well then I can't, can I?" Rory reasoned impatiently.
"What does Wednesday have to do with anything?" Lorelai demanded.
Rory shook her head and turned to continue on as she called, "Nothing. I'll meet you at home."
Lorelai walked into Doose's and the first thing she spotted was Dean bagging groceries. She sighed heavily and headed for the aisle where the light bulbs were kept. She reached out and fingered a package of bulbs absently as she stared at the shelf with unseeing eyes. Her mind raced as she realized that not only had she not told Rory about speaking to Max again, but she didn't say anything about Luke, and what may or may not be happening between them. The memory of the night she and Rory stood outside of the diner watching Luke through the window came rushing back to her. Just the echo of the steel in Rory's voice when she pulled her from the window and told her in no uncertain terms that she was not allowed to date Luke sent a shiver down her spine. She shook her head slightly to clear it and quickly picked up the package of bulbs, cradling them in the crook of her arm as she walked slowly to the cash register. As she waited, Lorelai kept her eyes glued to the package, unwilling to look up, unable to see the same wounded look in Dean's eyes as she had seen in Rory's.
When her purchase was rung up, handed over a couple of bills and waved off both the change and the bag Dean offered her. She gave him a weak smile of her own, grabbed the light bulbs from the counter, and fled as quickly as possible. As she passed by the diner window, she saw Luke placing clean mugs on the shelf beneath the counter. He looked up, his eyes immediately locking on her, and Lorelai offered a small wave as she held up the package of light bulbs and then started to meander toward home to talk to Rory. Hopefully, this time, in a more rational manner, but she wasn't banking on that. It had been a very irrational two days, after all.
She took her time, wandering down the fruit streets on the way, hoping to give Rory enough time to cool down a little. She walked through the front door and called, "Rory, I'm back for round two. I got some silly string in case things get really ugly." She walked into the kitchen and placed the package of bulbs on the table as she called, "Rory?" She poked her head into her daughter's room, but found it empty. "Where are you?" she yelled as she walked into the living room. With a frown, she turned and called up the stairs, "Rory? Answer please. Rory?" she tried again, an edge of panic creeping into her voice.
The telephone rang, and Lorelai lunged for it. "Hello? Rory?" she asked quickly.
"Lorelai, its Max," Max said tiredly. "I missed you earlier, I'm glad I got you now," he said.
"Max, I, um, I can't talk right now," she told him as she climbed the stairs to check her room just to be sure that Rory wasn't up there.
"Listen, I don't know if you got my message…" Max started to say.
"I did," Lorelai told him shortly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you hadn't said anything to her until I saw the look on her face," he explained quickly.
"Max, now is really not the time, okay?" Lorelai said firmly.
"But I think that we should talk about this," he insisted.
"We will talk about it, but right now I have to find my daughter, who is majorly pissed off, and not where she's supposed to be," Lorelai snapped.
"Oh," Max said softly.
"Yeah, so, I'll have to call you back," Lorelai said as she hit the off button and looked around her empty room blankly. She looked down at the phone in her hand and asked aloud, "Where did you go?"
She sat down on the edge of her bed, trying not to freak out yet. After all, it was broad daylight, and Rory wasn't a child anymore, she reasoned. She may have just gone over to Lane's to vent about her crazy mother, she told herself. She looked down at the phone again and then pressed the on button and began dialing with her thumb. "Mrs. Kim? It's Lorelai. Is Lane there? Well do you know where she is?" she asked anxiously. "Huh. That's unbelievable. You always know where she is. Um, the one time I need you to be crazy prison guard lady you're all, hey man whatever," she muttered. "Um, you know what, I will never be able to explain that to your satisfaction, so um could you just ask Lane to call me please when she gets back. I'm looking for Rory. No I don't know where she is. I, uh, don't 'ha' me, you don't know where Lane is either," she sneered as she hit the button to end the frustrating call.
She sat there for a few more minutes, and was almost able to convince herself that Rory was with Lane wherever they were. She stood up and walked down the steps slowly, staring into the empty living room as if Rory would have magically appeared. The phone rang in her hand, causing her to jump, dropping the handset to the floor. Lorelai scrambled for it, and pressed the on button as she panted, "Hello?" She listened for a moment and than said, "So she's not with you? No. Yeah, I know. She's been really crabby lately. Uh huh. I understand," she said with a rueful laugh. "No, that's okay, thanks. I'm sure that she just went for a walk or something," Lorelai said, trying to convince herself as much as Lane. "Yeah, well, I'll have her call you. Thanks, Lane," Lorelai said as she hung up and then dropped down onto the couch, trying to figure out if she believed her own stories.
XXXX
Spotting Lorelai as she walked by waving her package of light bulbs at him seemed to strengthen Luke's resolve. For some odd reason, just the sight of that wacky woman walking by and showing off her household purchases made him smile. He finished straightening up before the dinner rush began and called back to Caesar that he was out for the night. He walked up the stairs to the apartment, and felt a flood of relief as he heard the shower running in the bathroom. He walked into the apartment and the first thing he saw was clothing that Lorelai had purchased on his behalf piled on the armchair, just where he had dumped it earlier that afternoon. He walked over and started to pick through the pile, trying to figure out what to wear for what he was sure would be the longest dinner of his life. He pulled out a dark blue sweater and remembered something Lorelai said about his eyes popping. He dropped it back onto the pile, and glanced over at his closet, wondering if Rachel would find it strange if he wore something old when he had a whole new wardrobe to choose from. With a sigh, he turned back to the pile and plucked a charcoal grey sweater, which had made Lorelai shrug with indifference when she held it up to him. Figuring it would be better to wear something that Lorelai wouldn't want to see him wear in the future, than to be reminded of what he was about to do over and over again, Luke settled on the grey sweater and then pulled a pair of his less faded jeans from his closet and draped them over the end of the bed with the sweater.
He heard the water shut off, and a moment later Rachel stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her and her hair piled up on top of her head. "Hey," she said as she spotted him there.
"Oh, hey," he said as he looked up, and then looked away quickly.
Rachel passed behind him on her way to the dresser and reached to rub his back as she asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Huh?" Luke asked, with a puzzled frown.
"Your cold?" she asked as she pulled a bra and panties from her drawer.
"Oh, uh, throat is scratchy. A little swollen," he said as he made of show of running his fingers over his throat. Luke reached into the dresser and pulled out a pair of clean underwear and said, "I'm gonna grab a quick shower and then I'll be ready." He quickly closed himself into the bathroom, tossing the clean underwear onto the counter and turning on the water before he stripped out of his clothes.
While he was showering, Rachel walked into the bathroom and began smoothing lotion over her arms and legs. "So, not so busy today," she called to him.
"What? Oh, no," Luke answered as he lathered up.
"It was nice of Lorelai to pick that stuff out for you," she told him. Rachel paused for a moment, and when Luke said nothing she pointed out, "If you wanted some new clothes, I could have done that."
"Oh, uh, for the last few years, you know, she's been hounding me about my stuff," Luke stammered. "So she has just kind of jumped in, you know," he explained lamely wincing a little at how it sounded.
"Oh," Rachel said with a nod, trying not to be hurt by the veiled inference that she had not been there to do those things for him.
Luke took his time, hoping that she would leave the room before he had to actually exit the shower. He knew that it was silly, and that Rachel had seen him naked hundreds of times. Hell, he she had just seen him naked two days ago, but he couldn't shake the feeling that now everything was different. Just the possibility of having Lorelai within reach was enough to change his whole perspective, whether that was rational or not, he didn't care. He stood with his hair plastered against his head as the water beat down over him, wishing that the spray would wash just a little of the guilt that was plaguing him down the drain. He heard her close the tube of lotion and then hang her towel on the bar to dry. He peeped around the edge of the shower curtain in time to see her stroll back into the bedroom in nothing but her birthday suit. With a small snort at the irony of the thought, Luke turned off the water and snaked a hand out of the shower to grab his towel. He dried off quickly, then cautiously pulled the curtain aside, and reached for the underwear he had left on the vanity. After hanging up his towel, he walked back into the bedroom and snatched his jeans from the end of the bed. He pulled them on, zipped them, but left the button undone as he went back to the dresser for his socks.
"Are we in a hurry?" Rachel asked, as she pulled a sweater over her head.
"Huh? Oh, no," Luke said as she shook his head and dropped down onto the side of the bed to put his socks on.
Rachel smiled and ran her hand through his towel dried, but uncombed hair, smoothing it back from his face. "You usually primp a little more," she teased.
Luke switched legs and pulled on the second sock as he shot her a look. "I do not primp," he grumbled as he pushed himself up off of the bed and went back into the bathroom to comb his wet hair.
Rachel lounged in the doorway watching him as she asked, "You going for the full beard?"
Luke grimaced as he saw the two days of growth on his cheeks and neck and said, "I'll shave."
"You don't have to on my account, you know I like you scruffy," she said as she reached out to touch his cheek.
It was all that Luke could do to not shy from her touch. Instead, he offered her a weak smile and said, "I'd better anyway."
"You okay?" she asked worriedly.
Luke nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess I'm just a little off."
Rachel nodded and said, "Come on, Scruffy. We'll have a quick dinner and then get you home to bed."
Luke immediately felt a twinge of guilt as he turned to look at her and said gruffly, "It's your birthday. Let me just shave and we'll go have a nice dinner. I'll be fine," he assured her.
"Okay," Rachel said with a nod. "But if you start feeling worse, we're coming home," she said with a nod as she turned to go finish getting ready.
Luke started the water running in the sink and then reached into the medicine cabinet for his razor and shaving cream. He closed the cabinet door, and caught his own gaze in the mirror. "Home," he whispered as he glanced toward the bedroom nervously. He hunkered down over the sink to wet his face and muttered, "Oh geez."
XXXX
Sookie bustled through the front door and Lorelai pounced. "Anything?" she demanded.
Sookie shook her head and said, "Patty hasn't seen her but she's been working all day. She's not at the library. I didn't see her at Luke's, but Luke wasn't there to ask," she reported.
Lorelai looked down at the phone in her hand, realizing that she had just turned it on to dial Luke's number. She hit the off button, and wailed, "Where is she? Why didn't she leave a note? Dammit!"
"Honey calm down," Sookie said as patiently as possible.
Lorelai shook her head and said, "But Rory doesn't take off. She knows it would make me crazy. She knows it would make me worry. I'm crossing over into panic now," she told Sookie as she pressed her hand to her heart.
Sookie grasped Lorelai's arm and said, "Don't cross. Come back."
There was a knock on the door and as soon as Lorelai reached the foyer, Max opened it a crack and said, "Hey."
Lorelai stopped dead in her tracks and said, "Hey."
"You find her?" he asked anxiously.
Lorelai shook her head and said, "No, nothing. No one's seen her."
Max nodded and said, "Okay, um, what about that old boyfriend of hers?"
"Dean! Dean!" Lorelai called to Sookie.
Sookie hurried past them as she said, "On my way."
Lorelai offered Max a weak smile and said, "Good suggestion. You get crisis points. Max, I'm freaking out."
Max rubbed her shoulder and said, "It's gonna be okay. Sookie's here, I'm here. We will find her."
Lorelai frowned up at him and asked, "Why are you here?"
Max shrugged and said, "I thought that I could help."
Lorelai stepped back from him and said, "That's really nice of you."
"I like Rory, and I like you," Max said as he stepped closer to her again.
Lorelai placed a hand on his chest to stop his advance and said quickly, "And while I appreciate that, this may not be the best time for you to be here."
Max lifted one shoulder and asked, "What better time? You said yourself that I got crisis points."
Lorelai pointed out, "Yes, but part of this is that she's upset about you and me. If she comes home and finds you here, that might not be so helpful."
Max thought about it for a moment and then said, "You might have a point."
Lorelai nodded and said, "I have Sookie, and Patty and the rest of the town. She'll turn up. Oh! The bookstore! I should call Andrew," she muttered as she turned, scanning the room for the cordless phone. She spotted it on the couch and hurried to retrieve it. When she turned back to him, she said, "Seriously, I'll be fine."
Max gestured to the phone and asked, "Will you call me and let me know that she's okay?"
"I will," Lorelai promised as she clutched the phone to her chest.
"Okay. I'll go," Max said as he walked over to her and ducked his head to kiss her.
At the last moment, Lorelai turned her head slightly so that his kiss fell to her cheek. When he pulled back and looked at her with his eyebrows raised in surprise, she laughed nervously and held up the phone. "Gotta call Andrew," she reminded him.
"Okay, I'll leave you to it. Don't forget to call me, though," Max said as he turned to head for the door.
"I won't," Lorelai called after him. When she heard the front door close behind him, she dropped to the couch and murmured worriedly, "But Andrew hasn't seen her either." She dropped her eyes to the phone, and as if by magic, it began to ring.
XXXX
"Is it not good?" Rachel asked as she pointed her fork at his linguini.
"Huh? Oh, yes, it is," Luke said as he looked down and realized that he had hardly touched his entrée. He glanced around and said, "I, uh, I'll be right back," he told her as he started to rise from his chair. He walked quickly toward the men's room, and was relieved to find it empty when he stepped inside. He walked over to the mirror and stared at his reflection for a moment. "Stop it. Stop thinking about her," he told himself. He turned the water on and began to wash his hands thoroughly. "Rachel. Think about Rachel," he reminded himself. He looked up into the mirror as he reached for paper towels to dry his hands and said sternly, "She doesn't deserve this, especially not on her birthday." He tossed the towels into the trash can and opened the door to return to his table. Glancing to his right, he noticed a pay phone, and stopped in his tracks.
Luke pulled a handful of change from his pocket and lifted the receiver. He dropped what he thought should be an adequate amount into the slot, and quickly dialed. His head reared back as he heard Lorelai answer in an anxious tone, "Hello? Rory?"
"It's me. Luke," he told her. "What's going on?"
"Oh, Luke, Rory ran away," Lorelai said plaintively.
"What? What do you mean ran away?" he demanded.
"We had a fight. Well, not really a fight, more like she was being a jerk, and I refused to take it anymore. Then, when I got home, she wasn't here," she explained. "I've been totally frantic. I had half the town looking for her," she told him.
"I'll be right there," he said quickly.
"No! She's okay," Lorelai said quickly. "My mother just called. She took a cab to Hartford, she's at my parents' house," she told him.
Luke blew out a long breath and said, "Thank God she's safe." He rubbed his forehead and then said, "Wow. Your parents' house?"
Lorelai smiled as she realized how much he actually did get her. "Yeah," she answered with a wry smile.
"Why would she go there? I mean, you don't exactly make it sound like the most pleasant place to visit," he added.
"Because she knows that I won't chase her down and beg her to come home if she's there," Lorelai said sadly.
"I'm so sorry," Luke said sincerely. "What are you going to do?" he asked.
"I'm gonna let her cool down tonight, and then I'm going to go get her in the morning," she told him.
Luke nodded and said, "That's probably best."
"Where are you at?" Lorelai asked him.
"Uh, dinner," Luke said gruffly.
Lorelai gasped and said, "Luke! Why are you calling me?"
Luke shook his head and said, "I couldn't stop thinking about you. About, uh, us," he said as his voice dropped. He sighed and said, "This is hard."
"Yeah," she said sympathetically.
"I feel horrible," he told her.
Lorelai chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment and then said, "Then don't do it."
"Don't do what?" Luke asked with a scowl.
"Don't break up with her," Lorelai told him.
"Are you nuts?" Luke asked incredulously.
"Well, you keep telling me that I am," Lorelai said dryly.
Luke glanced over his shoulder to be sure that no one was nearby and then said, "No, not an option. Either way, it's not fair. I'm not in this," he told her.
"Well, then, yeah. I'm sorry it's hard. I know it is. Max showed up here tonight to help, and I had to send him away," she said honestly. "They're both good people, and they're both going to be hurt," she sighed.
"Exactly," Luke commiserated.
There was a moment of silence as they both listened to the other breathing on the other end of the line. Finally, Lorelai said softly, "I don't think we're bad people."
"Me either," Luke agreed.
"We just, something just, I don't know, happened," she said quietly.
"It wasn't planned," Luke agreed.
Lorelai shook her head and said, "It's not like we want to hurt them." She sighed and said, "Go back to your dinner, Luke."
"I'm glad she's okay," he said softly.
"I'll talk to you later," Lorelai said as she hung up the phone.
Luke looked down at the receiver in his hand and then gently placed it back on the hook. He ran his palms over the back of his jeans, tugged his sweater down a little, and turned back to the dining room.
XXXX
Luke made it through the rest of dinner, making a concerted effort to talk and making himself laugh at the appropriate moments. As they walked into the apartment later that night, Luke tossed his keys into the shallow dish where he usually kept them. Rachel looked back at him and said, "You seem to be feeling better." She stepped closer and wound her arms around his neck, lifting her lips for a kiss. When he hesitated, she whispered, "I'm not afraid of a little cold."
Luke gave her a quick peck on the lips and said, "I'd feel horrible if you got sick." To distract her, he smiled and said, "I have presents."
Rachel's eyebrows shot up as she asked, "You do?"
Luke chuckled as he stepped back and said, "Well, yeah."
Rachel laughed and said, "I thought that it was understood that you're not the best present shopper in the world."
"I will admit that I'm not," Luke said as he disentangled himself from her arms and walked over to the closet by the apartment door. "I didn't wrap them, if that makes you feel any better," he said sarcastically.
"That does," Rachel said with a nod. "Otherwise, I'd be afraid that you were body snatched," she said as she sat down at the kitchen table.
Luke reached into the closet, and pulled the book tucked into the pocket of the camera bag up a little, so that the title would show. "Close your eyes," he called to her.
Rachel smiled as she closed them and said, "Man, I hope it's a nice set of towels, because yours suck."
"Ha ha," Luke intoned as he walked over and placed the camera bag on the table in front of her. "Okay," he said as he waved a hand toward the bag.
Rachel opened her eyes, and then gave a little start as she saw the leather bag in front of her. "Wow," she blurted.
"Do you like it?" Luke asked anxiously.
Rachel reached out to run her hand over the smooth leather and said in a soft voice, "It's beautiful."
"Your other one was falling apart," he said with a nod as he sat down in the chair across from her.
"It was," Rachel agreed as she began to lift flaps and unzip compartments. "This is, uh, wow," she said softly. She reached into the outside pocket and pulled the copy of Out of Africa out, studying it carefully as realization dawned on her. She ran her tongue over her upper lip thoughtfully and then said, "I was just talking about this book." She looked up to see Luke nodding and said, "With Lorelai."
"Uh, yeah, she mentioned that," Luke said striving for an offhanded tone.
Rachel's mind raced as she started adding it all up in her head. Flashes of Luke sleeping on the couch, his careful distance, Lorelai dressing him in the diner, Luke taking his underwear into the bathroom, instead of walking around in his towel as he normally did, and his sudden aversion to being touched filed through her head. She nodded slowly and said, "It's supposed to be an amazing book."
"She said that you said you had never read it," Luke told her.
"I haven't," Rachel answered quietly. "Thank you."
"Happy Birthday," he wished her.
Rachel nodded as she swallowed hard and said, "Yeah, thanks." She straightened her shoulders a little and then smiled gently as she said, "You know, you look a little flushed. Maybe you should get some sleep."
Luke blinked in surprise and then said, "Uh, okay. You're probably right."
Rachel nodded as she stood up and said, "I'll take the couch."
Luke shook his head quickly and said, "No, I'm used to sleeping on it. I'll be fine."
Rachel pressed her lips together as she looked down at him and said, "Okay." She kissed his cheek gently and said, "Go."
Luke stood up and walked toward the bathroom as he called, "I'm sorry, kind of a crappy birthday."
Rachel sighed and sank back into the chair as she heard him turn the water on in the sink. "Yeah, a little crappy," she whispered as she fingered the strap of her new camera bag.
XXXX
Lorelai wandered aimlessly from the kitchen to the living room and then flopped down on the couch. She turned her head slightly and glared at the phone resting on the cushion beside her, knowing that she still needed to call Max and let him know that Rory was safe. She felt drained, her brain jumbled, and her stomach twisted into knots. She reached out and lifted the phone listlessly, trying to work up the energy to make the call. She closed her eyes for a moment and drew in a steadying breath before she began to dial. When Max answered, she said, "It's me, she's fine. She's at my parents' house."
"Oh, good," Max said with a relieved smile.
"Yeah, I guess so," Lorelai said a little petulantly.
Max smiled and said, "You sound upset. We were lucky. You know, most teenagers don't run away to their grandparents' house," he teased.
Lorelai bristled a little at his self-inclusion in her life and said, "Well, there may be a few worse places, but not many."
Max chuckled and said, "Lorelai, they're your parents."
"Exactly," Lorelai muttered.
"You should be happy," he told her.
Lorelai pursed her lips and said, "Happy is pretty far down on the list right now."
"You're still upset. That's understandable, but she's safe and well cared for," he said confidently. "Why didn't you go and get her if you're so worried about them?" he asked.
Lorelai took a deep breath, and decided that she didn't have the energy to explain it all to him at the moment. "She needed a little space," she said simply.
"Yeah, well, everyone does sometimes," Max said agreeably.
"So, I…" Lorelai started to say.
"I think we should have dinner tomorrow and discuss this whole situation," Max said, cutting her off.
"Well, Max…" Lorelai tried again.
"I mean, you shouldn't feel like you have to keep things like this from her," he insisted.
"No, I shouldn't," Lorelai agreed.
"Get some sleep. I'll pick you up at seven," Max said firmly.
Lorelai paused, debating whether to just get it over with, or to wait until she saw him face to face. With a sigh, she said, "I'll see you at seven."
"Goodnight, Lorelai," he said warmly.
"Goodbye, Max," Lorelai answered distractedly as she pressed the button to disconnect the call.
XXXX
Luke lay awake, staring at the ceiling as he listened to Rachel's breathing. He could tell that she wasn't asleep, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything to her. He lowered his eyes to the bed, staring into the semi darkness until he could pick up the outline of her body as she lay turned away from him on her side. As he stared at her back, he thought of all of the times that he had wished desperately that she would stay put. The irony of the fact that this time she seemed determined to stay was not lost on him. He turned onto his side, careful to be as quiet as possible, and cradled his head in the crook of his elbow. He gazed into the darkness and tried to work out what he could possibly say to her. Coming up blank, he closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep, both dreading and anticipating the day to come.