Chapter 7

Lorelai walked into the diner the next morning with a smile on her face and whistling a U2 song. The whistling and smile vanished quickly when she realised that all the tables were taken, including the one she and Rory usually sat at for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner. Or any other time they were in there together.

"Huh."

"What?"

"Look". Lorelai swept a wide arm around the diner.

"Huh." Agreed Rory.

"Lu-uke!" Lorelai whined, nudging Rory to make sure she, too, had the infamous 'Gilmore pout and puppy-dog eyes' turned on.

"Sorry. We've been busy all morning. There are two stools at the counter, that's the best I can offer."

"But –"

"Lorelai." She was silenced by the glare and the low level of Luke's voice that reminded her of the night they spent together just over a week ago. Pouting, she took Rory's elbow and steered her into a stool.

"What can I get you?"

"Friday night special." Lorelai replied with a smirk.

"For breakfast?"

"Well, I haven't had one in over a week." She defended.

Rory rolled her eyes and Luke blushed when he picked up on the meaning. "Oh, jeez."

"Well, it was so good I can't wait for more."

This time Rory pulled a face. "Mo-om! Delicate ears!" she moaned, covering them.

It was then that Lorelai realised the diner was filled with locals. There wasn't one person in there that she hadn't exchanged pleasantries with at a town function.

And they kept looking at the three of them.

"You're kidding me." She groaned.

Rory flashed Lorelai a worried glance. "What?"

"They know."

"Who knows what?"

"They – the town – know." She stressed.

Suddenly the meaning was all very clear.

"Ha!" murmured Rory. "Rethinking the Friday night special?"

Lorelai shook her head and smiled at Luke. "Never. But I am thinking I should go have a quick chat with those four over there." She pointed to two tables in a corner that housed Babbette, Miss Patty, Mrs. Cassini and 'east-side' Tilly.

"Please do. They've been on my back all morning. Wanting me to go over and 'chin wag' with them." Mumbled Luke.

Rory snickered. Before Lorelai could move, Babbette and Miss Patty were on their way over. Luke groaned, Lorelai sighed and Rory smiled.

"Too late." She smirked.

"Mornin', sugahs."

"Hello, darlings."

"Hey Babbette, Miss Patty." Lorelai greeted with an easy smile.

"We were wonderin'," started Babbette.

"Mmm?"

"If you could possibly do us a favour." Finished Miss Patty.

"No." replied Luke automatically.

Lorelai shot him look. "Maybe. What's up?"

"Well,"

"We were wonderin',"

"What's going on between you," Miss Patty nodded to Lorelai. "And that delightful specimen?" she nodded to Luke with a hungry look in her eyes.

Lorelai glanced at Luke. "Uh, what do you mean?"

"Are ya's doin' the 'horizontal dance', or what?"

Rory snorted, which earned her a glare from Lorelai and a surprised look from Luke. "Sorry." She managed to choke out between holding her giggle in.

Lorelai sighed. "Well,"

"Whatever dance Lorelai and I may or may-not be doing is none of your business." Luke said in an angry voice.

"So, that's a 'yes', then?" asked Miss Patty innocently.

Lorelai glanced at Luke again, which was all the confirmation the two gossip queens needed.

"It's about time!"

"Here, here." Agreed Rory, for which she was rewarded with not only another glare from her mother, but one from Luke as well. "What!? It's true! We've all know it for, like, five years. Luke, you kept that horoscope, and, mom, you were so jealous of Rachel and upset when you fought. We could all see it."

"She has a point." Muttered Lorelai to Luke.

"What horoscope?" asked Babbette and Miss Patty in unison.

"I don't believe this. Next thing we know, Taylor'll be holding a town meeting to discuss how, in the unlikely event of a break up, the town would be affected."

"Luke?" asked Lorelai softly.

"Look, this relationship is mine and Lorelai's. Ours. Not anyone else's, okay? So we would both appreciate it if you left us alone to go about living our lives."

Stunned momentarily by Luke's rant, Babbette and Miss Patty turned to Rory.

"And you can leave Rory, Jess, Dean and Lane out of this, too."

"Okay, okay, fine. You win, Luke. But just remember: this town has eyes and ears everywhere."

"Yeah? Well those eyes and ears better get used to me and Lorelai quickly and keep their mouths shut because those eyes and ears and mouths won't be welcome in my diner." He paused and glared at the on-lookers. "Go it?" when nobody moved or made a sound, he nodded once. "Good. Discussion over."

It the wake of Luke's heartfelt rant the diner was silent and took several minutes to return to its usual level of noise. It took him nearly that long to calm down. When he eventually did, he poured both Rory and Lorelai a cup of coffee.

As he poured, Lorelai reached a hand out and placed it on his arm softly. "Luke, that was…"

"Wow." Rory supplied, eyes bugged.

Luke shrugged. "This town needs a hobby or something. Look, you came back, I kept the horoscope and we're both still all in. I didn't say anything I didn't mean, okay?"

Lorelai nodded and realised that maybe – just maybe – she had fallen head-over-heels, completely, 'til-I-grow-old-and-death-do-us-part-wearing-matching-jogging-suits in love with her best friend, one Lucas Danes.

Actually, scratch that. She knew it.