Honestly, did you think it would take all that much persuasion to, you know, persuade me?

Cheers for the reviews though, guys. You seriously do not understand how good they make me feel. Not going to get sappy, but life sucks and reviews make my day.

Also, I promise to do my best and follow the show as much as possible. Some episodes wont even rate a mention, while some might have a couple of lines borrowed. This chapter (possibly the longest one I have written – EVER!!) falls into the second (?) category. Nothing to do with past episodes what so ever. Sorta… hmmm…

Oh, and I'm probably gonna totally suck at updating from now on cause this is my THIRD (!!) story on-the-go. I really should think about actually finishing stories before I post new ones, eh? Only one is completely typed up…

Chapter 2

The following morning Lorelai woke up at 7. While during the week this was normal, for a Saturday it was decidedly un-normal. She couldn't remember a time when she had willingly woke at that hour, barring the occasional Christmas or birthday that fell on the day of 'pre-rest'.

She was showered and dressed by 8, which she knew to be even more unusual. Normally it took her that long to simply get out of bed. She would lie there and plan her outfit and how exactly she was going to annoy Luke at breakfast. Normally she didn't even entertain the idea of getting up until she heard Rory moving around downstairs. That is, of course, unless she had to work. And she didn't have to work that day.

By the time Rory stumbled out of her room, Lorelai had drunk four cups of coffee, eaten two Pop Tarts (strawberry milkshake flavor) and a small bowl of Rice Krispies with marshmallows (the creamy white ones that Rory loved and Lorelai loved to eat before her).

"Mom?" Rory asked, almost whimpering.

Lorelai looked away from the re-run NCIS she was half watching. "What's the matter, babe?"

Rory wore a lost look. "Why are you up so early? And dressed?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." She offered.

Rory, still not fully awake and functioning, nodded and moved to make herself a coffee. She fetched herself a cold Pop Tart (a crazy chocolate-y flavor) and sunk into the couch next to Lorelai, proceeding to let her head fall comfortably against her mother's shoulder.

Rory was silent as she ate her Pop Tart and sipped her coffee. Then, about a minute after she drank the last of the warm beverage, it hit her. "You can't wait to get to Luke's!" she accused.

Lorelai shrugged again and smirked. "Oh, McGee. You got me."

Disappointed with the lack of denial, Rory slumped back against the couch. " I thought we agreed that NCIS was out?"

"Yeah, but it's a season 1 or 2 repeat. And you know I'm a sucker for that whole Kate-and-Tony-not-romance."

Rory rolled her eyes but didn't comment. She knew what was coming next.

"They were perfect for each other and then she died!"

Yep, there it was. "How many times to we have to go over this? The chick that played her-"

"Sasha Alexander?"

"Yes, her. She got pregnant or wanted out or something. And what sort of perfect are we talking? 'You and Luke perfect' or 'Monica and Chandler perfect'?"

"Me and Luke prefect?"

"Yeah, you know: the flirting, the teasing, the banter. You and Luke - Kate and Tony."

"Me and Luke are nothing like Kate and Tony."

"Name one difference."

"Our names?"

"Well, duh!"

"Luke and I are alliterating. Luke, Lorelai. L, L, see? Like 'Ross' and 'Rachel'. 'Kate' and 'Tony' aren't."

"True. But you have the same privilege thing."

"Huh?"

"Tony came from a privileged family, Kate didn't. You come from a privileged up-bringing, Luke doesn't."

Lorelai scoffed. "I couldn't get outta there fast enough, though."

"And there's the whole 'city vs. town' thing, too." Rory continued as if Lorelai hadn't spoken.

"What?"

"Well, Luke, like Kate, doesn't mind living in a small town. You, like Tony, like the city."

"We don't live in the city." Lorelai pointed out.

Rory shrugged. "We did."

"For a year! Not counting before you were born."

"Still, it's a year longer than Luke."

"You don't know that."

"Do too."

"How?"

Rory smirked and got up off the couch. "I'm going to have a shower, then we can go." She paused. "If you want." She added with a cheeky grin that was rewarded with a pillow aimed at her head. It missed and she laughed.

XXX

"Hey, you know, it just occurred to me that with all my news last night we never got around to discussing you." Lorelai implored as they walked through town on their way to Luke's half an hour later.

"About me?"

Lorelai bobbed her head from side to side. "Well, about you and Dean, then. Is there still a Dean?"

Rory hesitated then sighed. "Yeah. But I think we're breaking up."

"Oh?"

"We ran into Jess."

"Oh."

"It was awkward and Dean asked what'd happened between us. Me and Jess." She added in way of explanation.

"And?"

"Well, I didn't say anything about the kiss. I just said that I didn't know he was back."

"Did Dean believe you?"

"He said he did, but I'm not sure. Its so stupid."

"What is?"

"All of it. I mean I know there's this… thing between Jess and I. He reads and likes similar music and we can argue over books and authors and movies and music and stuff. Everything with him, like out friendship or whatever it is, has always been so… I don't know, easy?"

Lorelai nodded in understanding. "I know that feeling."

"Well, yeah. It's the same with you and Luke. There's always been an attraction and you've always been friends, too. And you and da- Christopher – were friends for years, too. Before, well, me." Lorelai nodded. "And I love Dean, I really do."

"But?"

"But, I don't know. We used to just… click, you know? But now, after the accident and New York and the wedding and… everything it all seems so hard. I mean, I would never intentionally hurt him or anything like that, but…"

"There it is again." Lorelai murmured as they crossed the corner near Doose's.

"Yeah. There's, like, these doubts. Maybe Dean isn't right for me? Maybe I don't love him as much as I used to? Maybe, I don't know, maybe I would be happier with Jess?"

"I'm sensing yet another 'but'."

Rory nodded. "But you don't like him." She hesitated and looked at her mother. "You told me once, last year, that my opinion meant everything to you."

"That's cause it does, hon." Lorelai interjected.

"Exactly. And your opinion means everything to me, too. And you've told me you've known guys like Jess, and I trust and believe you. You've got a pretty decent track record with telling me the truth."

"'Pretty good'? What kind of percentage is that?"

"Ninety-five."

"Ninety-five!? Why only ninety-five?"

"For nearly ten years I believed the stove was The Devil. I was petrified of the kitchen! It wasn't until I said something in front of Mrs. Kim that I realised you were lying!"

Lorelai snickered. "Really?"

"Yes!"

By now they were nearly at the steps that lead up to Luke's. nervously, Lorelai tucked an errant curl behind her ear and smoothed her t-shirt.

Rory smirked. "wow."

Lorelai snapped her head around. "what?"

Rory shook her head, the smirk still present. "I've never seen you nervous about going into Luke's."

"I'm not nervous."

Rory smiled. "Sure."

"I'm not! Rory! Wait!" growling, Lorelai jogged up the stairs behind her daughter. "One word and you're dead." She hissed warningly as the bells tinkled.

Lorelai's eyes immediately sought out the backwards-baseball cap wearing diner owner. He was standing in his usual position behind the counter topping up Kirk's 'quarter-caff'. As soon as he heard the bells he looked up and met her eyes. His face softened slightly and he almost smiled.

Almost.

"Anywhere?" she questioned.

Luke nodded. "Yeah, anywhere. That's free." He added hastily, seeing the gleam flash in Lorelai's eyes.

She pouted and looked away from the full table she had intended on annoying and took a seat to the left of the door.

They had only been sitting for five seconds when Luke came over carrying two huge mugs of coffee.

Lorelai grinned. "You do know the way to a girl's heart, huh?"

He shook his head and glanced at Rory, who was watching them with an amused expression. "Nope, just you two." He muttered, putting the mugs down in front of them.

"Oh! Even better! No competition." She added to Rory with a knowing smile.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Luke."

"That's okay, Rory. At least one of you knows their manners."

Lorelai shrugged easily. "Musta skipped a generation."

"You think?" he deadpanned.

She nodded.

"So, what do you want? For breakfast?"

Lorelai grinned and looked up at him with flirty eyes.

"If you say anything that could require a 'dirty' for a comeback you wont get anything."

Lorelai frowned. "Two choc-chip pancakes and some bacon and eggs. Extra bacon, light on the eggs."

Luke wrote it down and looked expectantly at Rory.

"French toast and a chic-chip pancake, please."

Luke smirked. "Won't be long. He replied and headed back to the counter to put the order through.

"Neither will I." Muttered Lorelai as she followed Luke to the counter.

Rory watched her go as Jess came down the stairs. Their eyes met and he turned abruptly and went back up. Rory sighed and turned her gaze out the window as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Oh, Lu-uke." Called Lorelai from the counter stool next to the register.

"One sec." He answered as he finished taking an order. "Yeah?"

Lorelai smiled seductively and in the most flirtatious voice she could muster, replied, "Hi."

Luke looked slightly bemused. "Uh, hi?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "That's all I get. I was doing my best flirty voice and everything." she pouted.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Rory and I talked last night. About… stuff."

"And? You and Rory talk about 'stuff' all the time. Most of which I have no idea what you're talking about."

Lorelai rolled her eyes again. "And we got to talking about us."

"'Us'?"

"You and me, 'us'." Lorelai answered waving a hand between them.

"Oh, and?"

Lorelai sighed. "I… it… well, she was so excited by what I told her, like the kiss and the making up and the talking."

"But?"

"Oh, my God! That word. Again!?" noticing Luke's confused expression she added, "not important. Another story," with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Luke nodded.

"But, anyway. Sometime between the falling asleep and the waking up I came to a decision. With this Ch-Christopher thing still being pretty fresh, it's going to be difficult." Luke's face fell." So, I just thought that I would let you know that he's called a few times and I haven't answered. I just… I thought you would like to know, incase he comes around one night when we're doing something like, I don't know, watching movies or whatever. Its such a Christopher thing to do and his is Christopher." She finished with a slight shrug and a sigh.

Luke nodded slowly, still processing what she was saying. "So, wait, does that mean-?" he swallowed. "What does that mean?"

Lorelai smiled softly. A smile Luke knew meant that she was truly happy about something. "I want to try. Dating. Start a relationship. With you." She clarified.

Luke nodded. "Okay… Well, what are you doing tonight?"

"Classic themed movie night. Casablanca, Love Story and either Pretty In Pink or Dirty Dancing, depending on what we watch first and what mood we're in. You're more than welcome to join."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Eight?"

Lorelai nodded and shrugged. "Whenever you can get there. Rory and I'll probably start about six."

"I'll be there at six."

"You sure?"

Luke nodded. "Yep. Now get back to your table, breakfast's ready."

Lorelai grinned and sauntered happily back to her table to share the good news with her daughter.

Thanks for all the reviews. To those of you wondering about the "M" rating, I had complete faith in your reviewing that I put it up there for when I went further into the relationship side of it... I'll now change the story to 'in-progress' because it's still in progress. "Oh, der, Fred!" You're all saying it, don't lie! Anyway, I think I might get on with finishing at least one more story... Hmm, maybe one day I'll learn not to post new stories when old-er stories aren't finished... Until then, review? Lol...

Have a good one!