Lorelai used to love having days off. Snow days, holidays, when you're a kid it's all cause for celebration. But Lorelai wasn't such a kid anymore. Having a Tuesday off when no one else does isn't so fabulous. She had two friends, one was a senior and currently in math class, and the other was stocking shelves in a dusty storeroom. And what's worse…she was helping. Well she and Rory were lending moral support. "Hey Luke, I think that box should go a little to the left, right Rory?"

Luke groaned and turned to glare at Lorelai. Today was not his day. Not that it had started out that way. He figured she'd be stopping by. Stars Hollow didn't offer much in the way of entertainment for a day off. He'd been looking forward to it. He had to work but he was starting to get used to her chattering in the background of his life. He was moderately happy at breakfast that morning. His father seemed to think he was having a stroke. Then of course, the phone rang.

Three hours earlier, the Danes' kitchen:

"Hello?"

"Luke?"

"Rachel?" His father had quickly exited the room at the sound of that name.

"Yeah, hey Luke. How are you?"

"Fine. What's wrong?"

"Wrong, nothings wrong. I'm in Chicago for a layover and I thought I'd check in."

"Uh huh." He refrained from slamming his hand against the counter.

"So. What's new?"

"Nothing." As he heard the words come out of his mouth his mind called up images of Lorelai bouncing around to crappy music and apologizing to Rory that there was no such think as pureed cheeseburger baby food.

"Yeah, well it is Stars Hollow." Whenever she'd say that Luke knew she wasn't just passing judgment on the town, but on him as well. Dating Rachel had been exciting. She was smart and beautiful and interesting. But she was also a little…distracted. It's hard to really be with someone who was always hoping to be somewhere else. If she had really loved him shouldn't her best place have been with him? They chatted for a few more minutes, about mostly nothing. But as always the conversation lingered with Luke. But really it was the feeling he always got from Rachel, There's always something better out there then me.

Back to the store room:

Luke had been simmering all morning. Lorelai and Rory usually made him feel…light. Like before his mom died and he'd go skipping out of his house to float in the lake all day. But the image of Rachel rolling her eyes at his…dull life… well that just kept him on the edge.

"Come on drillboy, the faster you finish the faster we can go out," she nodded surely to the small child on her lap.

"Well your chattering isn't helping time move any faster now is it?" he gritted out tossing the boxes on the shelf with increased force.

"Come on Luke lets do something fun!" She whined.

"DAMMIT LORELAI MAYBE IT WOULD BE FUN NOT TO HAVE TO ENTERTAIN YOU EVERY DAMN DAY!"

Lorelai gasped and jumped back a little clutching her confused daughter to her tightly. She wasn't afraid Luke would hurt or even intentionally scare Rory, but she was so surprised by the outburst she feared dropping her out of shock. "I…Uh…Yeah…I'll…" she quickly scrambled off the table grabbing Rory's things as she bolted out the door.

Luke stood facing the shelves trembling, guilt and anger tearing at his insides. Anger at Rachel for just poking her head around the corner to ruin everything, and at himself for not controlling his temper. But the guilt was sitting on him, robbing him of his breath. Lorelai wanted to spend time with him. There weren't many choices here for entertainment but she seemed perfectly satisfied with his companionship.

With Sookie still in school she spent most of her days lugging her daughter across town to watch him do his boring job. That's why he snapped. How long could this wild laughing singing dancing girl be content to spend her days with a guy like him? Rachel couldn't do it and she'd had years to get attached to him. Only to walk away with just a short little note to mark the passing. Luke thumped his aching head on the table a few times. I am such an ass.


Lorelai had wandered around killing time, trying to entertain herself. You left home to stand on your own, not force some poor guy to take care of you.

"Lorelai, hey!"

Lorelai spun around to see Sookie on her way home, "Hey Sook."

"What's wrong sweetie, I thought you were spending the day with Luke?"

Lorelai's face heated with embarrassment, "well, uh, he deserves the day off. He should get a rest from babysitting Rory and I."

Sookie frowned, "Lorelai that's crazy he loves spending time with you. I've never actually seen Luke Danes have fun before. What would make you say that?"

Lorelai wasn't in the mood to discuss his outburst, "It's nothing hun I just think we've been taking advantage of his kindness. I should head back, scrounge up some dinner for Rory."

"You can come eat at my house."

"No, but thank you for the offer." She smiled dimly and walked off toward the inn. A few minutes later as she walked out to the shed she saw him and again felt the burn of embarrassment.

"Lorelai."

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

Luke looked down sheepishly, "I was waiting for you, we should talk."

"How long have you been here?"

"Well I didn't know where you'd go but I figured you'd have to come back here eventually."

"Oh Luke, you shouldn't have wasted your whole afternoon waiting for me. I'm so sorry."

Luke looked up, confused, "No, no what are you sorry for, I'M the one who's sorry. I never should have yelled like that it was awful."

"No no, you were right. Rory and I we've been abusing your kindness. It's not your job to entertain us, or help us out. It's my responsibility to take care of us, and I haven't been doing it. I promise we're not going to impose on you anymore."

"No, No! Lorelai, no. I was being an ass. I was having a bad day and I just snapped."

"But you said-"

"No. Listen to me," he walked over and put his hands on her shoulders looking down into her eyes. "I'd had a phone call this morning and I was still all…defensive."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think I was really yelling at you I was yelling at Rachel."

"Rachel? Your ex?"

"Yeah. She called this morning."

Lorelai gestured to the door and they walked inside. She set Rory up in her high chair and started to feed her. "Was she calling to say she's coming home?" Lorelai wasn't entirely comfortable with the way her stomach tightened at that thought.

"No, definitely not. She didn't say much of anything. But talking to her always makes me feel…"

"Like what Luke?" Her voice softened at his vulnerable tone.

"Like I'm some sort of charity case or something. Like she's in between gigs right now so she might as well call and check on her poor pathetic ex."

"Luke you are NOT pathetic."

"Yeah well when Rachel calls she always says 'oh Luke you'll never change.' What was so wrong with that guy?"

Lorelai walks to the bed and sits beside him, taking his hands in hers, "Nothing Luke. If that guy that dated Rachel was anything like the guy I know then there was nothing wrong with him at all."

"Yeah, Steady and dependable, no excitement here."

Lorelai's heart broke at his expression. "Luke listen to me." She squeezed his hands tighter. "If she knew anything about anything she would have chained your leg to hers the moment you met. Luke she's looking for 'excitement' because she thinks she's boring. She wants adventure but she doesn't know what adventure really is. Before Rory I thought my adventure would be backpacking through Europe before Yale. But it's not…it's raising my daughter. Something I'm sure Rachel would find mundane."

Luke smiled, "I'm sure you could turn anything into an adventure."

"Exactly. And you seem to always be content with whatever you do. If she could see that in us she'd envy it not pity it."

Luke drew Lorelai into a long hug. While it wasn't the first time they'd hugged it was the first he'd initiated it. "Thank you," he whispered against her shoulder. A shiver ran down her spine. "You're very welcome."

"Mama!"

Lorelai giggled and went to scoop up her daughter. "Come on Rory show Luke how exciting we are, come on baby clap." Lorelai clapped and Rory copied her "Mama, Mama yay" Rory clapped.

Luke smiled, "How many words does she know?"

"Hmmm, well 'Mama', 'yay', 'love', 'sad', 'eat', 'more', 'no', 'okay', 'night', 'bye', oh and 'shoe'.

"Shoe?"

"Yeah she has a small obsession, like mother like daughter. She learns new ones constantly."

"Hey, we should do something different tomorrow."

"Different?"

"Yeah. We may not need adventure like Rachel but we should try new things. Go new places. What do you say Lorelai, you me and Rory take a day trip tomorrow?"

"Okay. No, even better. An 'I never' day"

"I never?"

"Well it won't really count for Rory since all she does is eat and sleep. But you and I can do things we've never done. Like in Breakfast at Tiffany's."

"Okay how about 9?"

"Oh god that's early. Please bring coffee."

"Okay. Night Lorelai. Night Rory."

"Nigh-Nigh," Rory giggled and waved.