Author's Note: The 2000 Festival is going to be split into several chapters, partly because of length and partly because of my continued indecision on how to end everything. The first part is below.

Founders' Firelight Festival 2000

After the door to the diner closed behind Lorelai, there was a long pause before Rachel got up the nerve to speak.

"So, hi."

"Hi..."

"Oh Luke, I really didn't mean to interrupt ... anything," Rachel said, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice. This was not the greeting Rachel was expecting from Luke. She knew she had been gone for a long time, but the time apart had never really mattered before. Rachel had gotten used to being able to travel the world and then seamlessly fit back into Luke's life whenever she returned home. She had come to rely on it really, and rely on him. Right now, more than anything, Rachel wanted Luke to give her a sign that she was still welcome in that life.

"I just missed you is all. I missed Stars Hollow too, if you can believe it. And when I saw the flight leaving for Hartford I just had to get on it."

"It's okay Rachel. You didn't interrupt anything." With Lorelai gone, and his attention no longer divided, Luke managed to snap out of his daze somewhat. At least enough to remember how to form full sentences. He was still avoiding eye contact though, not sure what emotions would surface if he was forced to look directly at Rachel. "But, uh, I should probably get back to work. You know, things to flip and fry..."

"Oh. Of course," Rachel said, her voice falling. She couldn't tell if Luke was giving her the brush off or if he just needed some space to process her sudden return. She could tell that her presence had rattled him. And, although she didn't dare ask him about it yet, she was pretty sure Lorelai was the reason why. "I'm sorry. I should have called. I just..."

"Maybe we can talk later? When things slow down?" Luke quickly cut Rachel off. He couldn't take her sounding so sad. Almost heartbroken, he decided, amazed that he could have that kind of effect on her. Luke had assumed she was immune to that sort of thing. After all, it was always Luke who ended up with the broken heart whenever Rachel skipped town.

"That would be great," Rachel's voice brightened. "I, um, wanted to take some photos around town anyway. Maybe compare them with the ones I took the last time I was here?"

"Not much has changed."

"Well, I was thinking of doing a photo series, something about the immutability of small town America."

"Stars Hollow is stuck in the past, so you've chosen your subject well at least. Heck, it probably looked about the same a hundred years ago, let alone six years ago." Luke winced slightly at the memory. Has it really been six years since Rachel left?

"I know you think I don't appreciate that, Luke. That sort of consistency and stability and, uh, dependability. But I do. I really do." Rachel said the last statement with such earnestness that Luke was forced to look up and meet her eyes.

"About Stars Hollow, I mean." Rachel added, thrown by the intensity in Luke's eyes. She didn't want to push too hard yet, especially if there was someone else in the picture now. "Things can change so fast in cities, you know. Homes are removed to make way for luxury condos or office buildings or department stores, and families and local shops are pushed further and further out into less desirable parts of town. I mean, why have generations of families living in the same neighborhood when you can have Russian oligarchs willing to pay millions of dollars for the penthouse in a high rise?"

"Careful Rachel, that was almost a rant," Luke nervously chuckled.

"Well, I learned from the best," Rachel shyly smiled and then, deciding to test the waters a bit, continued. "Small towns may not have the same excitement or the same sort of insatiable drive toward progress as other places I've been, but god it is nice to come back to Stars Hollow and realize some things are constant."

"Predictable more like."

"Well, I think I could use some predictable right now," Rachel said wistfully. "It's good to see you Luke, but I'll get out of your way until later. Can I leave my bags behind the counter or... upstairs?"

"Upstairs is fine," Luke replied automatically. And then immediately regretted it. He could feel himself almost unconsciously letting Rachel back in his life. And he wasn't really sure that was what he needed. Or even what he wanted anymore.

"Great!" Rachel's wishful thinking causing her to read more into Luke's offer of storage space than he had intended. "And maybe we can meet up at the Firelight Festival later?"

"Sure," Luke replied with a half-smile, his mind clouded with uncertainty.

"Just like old times!" Rachel said, bounding up the steps to Luke's apartment to drop off her bag. Noticing the lack of any feminine touches in the apartment (other than some frilly curtains she knew Luke had picked out), Rachel couldn't help her smile from turning into a grin. Looks like some things never change.

. . . . . .

Rachel exited the diner with her camera and a quick wave to Luke. Miss Patty followed closely behind her, all-too-ready to spread the latest gossip, thankful for having a front row seat for the reunion and a scoop over East Side Tilly. And Luke let out a deep breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

Rachel is back.

Luke used to spend a lot of time envisioning what he would do when Rachel came back. The first couple times she left all he could think about was how to get her to stay. He decided that she just needed to see the world before settling down. So, he welcomed her back each time she came home, never doubting that she would eventually come home for good. She would even talk about how tired she was of having a nomadic existence and promise him that she was finally ready to put down roots and build a life with him. But then Rachel would start to get anxious and feel constrained and Luke would sense her pulling away. And each time she left for another assignment, another adventure away from Stars Hollow, he doubted their future together a little more.

When she left for the last time six years earlier, and the pain was still raw, he vowed that he would not take her back so easily the next time. He would tell her off and then give her a hard kiss goodbye before showing her the door for good. However, with time, he had stopped being so angry with Rachel. And he began wanting to see her again, every postcard and letter she sent making him hope for her return a little more. He missed her. And so he began dreaming up new ways to make her stay the next time she came back.

But that was a couple years ago still. He hadn't thought that much about Rachel recently. He had even cleared out all of her belongings from his apartment, donated them to the Stars Hollow rummage sale. And when he pictured his future, Rachel was no longer the person he saw himself sharing his life with. At least not since his almost kiss with Lorelai at last year's Firelight Festival. He was finally over Rachel and could move on, and maybe actually make a move on Lorelai.

Of course, that was before Rachel had decided to come back, standing in front of him looking just as beautiful as ever, and telling him how much she missed him.

I need time to think, Luke sighed.

. . . . .

Luke had a foolproof system for making important life decisions.

First, he needed to remove any distractions. Ideally this would mean a fishing trip - a small boat, a quiet lake, and nothing but the occasional nibble from a fish to break the calm. But in a pinch, the diner would work - he would have time to think during a lull or working the grill in the back, letting muscle memory take over while his mind was otherwise engaged.

Next, he would consider each of his options carefully, without attempting to analyze them or compare them. Luke didn't like making pro/con lists. He didn't think you could come up with a scientific way to make a personal decision. But, if he thought about each of his options, he would know which was the right one. He would let his gut decide.

A simple system. And one that had never let him down before. Should he leave for college or stay in Stars Hollow to care for his dad? Should he really convert the hardware store to a diner? And, now, should he get back together with Rachel?

Today, however, Luke's system was breaking down.

The diner was busy and distracting. Luke was needed up front and couldn't escape to the back and the relative quiet of the grill. He couldn't concentrate; he kept glancing up at the diner door every time he heard the bell ring to see who walked in - simultaneously feeling relief that it wasn't Rachel and disappointment that it wasn't Lorelai. If he allowed himself to think about that he would have to admit that his gut was clearly in favor of going for it with Lorelai. But Luke refused to even consider Lorelai as an actual option. At least not until he could talk with her again.

Plus, he couldn't help but overhear hushed conversations about Rachel whenever he dropped off a plate or wiped down a table. Looks like Miss Patty did a good job spreading the news, Luke thought, listening to the entire town debate whether Luke and Rachel were already back together.

"... I heard she put her bags upstairs. That means she's staying here right? With Luke?" Morey was talking quietly with Babette when Luke set down a plate of fries on the table next to theirs.

"I heard they both went upstairs and that he gave her a proper hello, if y'know what I'm saying." Babette's whisper was loud enough to reach Luke at the counter where he was refilling the coffeemaker.

"What about Lorelai?" Jackson leaned over to ask Babette from a nearby table, not bothering to keep his voice down.

"Oh sugah, she looked so sad when I saw her this morning."

"Taylor said she had that outburst over the Festival..." Luke heard Gypsy chime in when he went to clear a table.

"No, no, Miss Patty told me Rachel came this afternoon, after all of that." Andrew had apparently joined the conversation also, pulling up a chair to sit with Jackson.

"I was just so sure those two kids would get together, they seemed so perfect for each other, but now..." Luke didn't stick around to find out what else Babette had to say.

"Caesar, I'm going to be in the back," Luke yelled to his cook and then went to sit by himself in the storage room, hiding out until the Firelight Festival.

. . . . .

Lorelai, meanwhile, had a foolproof system for running away from important life decisions, which basically boiled down to: lie to everyone, even yourself.

The sudden appearance of Rachel had unsettled Lorelai far more than she was willing to admit. She couldn't help but feel like she was losing something very important now that Rachel was back in Luke's life. If she were being honest with herself, she'd realize how much she hated Luke looking at Rachel like she was Miss September while forgetting that Lorelai was even in the diner with them. And she'd have to confess that her jealousy of Rachel was not limited to the woman's ability to have perfect hair after a long flight. But luckily, Lorelai was great at ignoring her feelings.

"I just miss Max," Lorelai lied when Rory pressed her about the reason she nearly pulled out Rory's hair when talking about Rachel.

"I'm just worried about my friend getting hurt again," Lorelai lied when Sookie called to find out how she was dealing with Rachel's return.

"I'm not interested in hearing about Luke's private life," Lorelai lied when Miss Patty told her about Rachel putting her bags in Luke's apartment and their date at the Founders' Festival that night.

And now Lorelai was climbing down from the balcony at her parents' house to escape an awful set up with the world's most boring actuary (which, given the profession, was quite an accomplishment) and heading back to Stars Hollow. And if she decided to stop by the Festival it definitely wouldn't be to spy on Luke and Rachel.