Authors Note: Here's the next chapter. After watching the season finale, this is going to not be completely the same story. Of course Luke and Lorelai will still get together, duh. But Rory's story will be different. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing...but ya'll already knew that.

Lorelai awoke the next morning from the best sleep she'd gotten in well over a year, a huge smile on her face. She was happy, genuinely and truly happy. She thought back over the night before, the amazing party for Rory, kissing Luke, and the hours long talk they'd had after that.

She chuckled, I kissed Luke!

After their long and very heated kiss in front of Luke's, Luke had led her upstairs to his apartment. She could feel the town watching; knowing that they were going to be rumors flying ferociously the next day, but neither seemed to care. Besides, she knew nothing more than talking was going to happen, they needed time before anything else brewed between them again.

They had talked and only talked, for hours far into the night. They had a lot to sort through, a lot of ground to cover and they had dove right in. It started off seemingly awkward, but that of course didn't last for long.

They talked about everything, starting at their previously failed relationship and all the reasons surrounding it. They talked about Lorelai's ultimatum, her talk with the psychologist in the back of her car, and her feelings of insecurity.

Luke talked about April and Anna and all the reasons he had pushed her out of April's life. He finally expressed his complete lack of confidence in himself to be a father and his worries that he would lose her if he couldn't prove himself. Lorelai assured him he was a father long before April ever entered his life as both she and Rory consider him a surrogate father, and this made his heart swell.

It was the last topic of the night and the one that was tip-toed around the most, but they knew they had to talk about that too, especially if they wanted to really and truly work everything out. They talked about Christopher. Lorelai couldn't contain the tears as she relived the last year of her life, starting with turning to her ex in the first place. She apologized every other sentence for going to him and hurting Luke with that punch in the gut, so to speak. They talked about their trip to Paris and the elopement. They talked about her marriage and then divorce. She expressed the regret she felt for jumping into that marriage so suddenly, without thought or concern for anything around her, but she also went on to explain how necessary it was.

She explained how Chris had always been that option in the back of her mind and how the thought of providing Rory with the whole package; mother and father together had once been a plan. But now, now she knew it never would have worked.

I just wish I could have figured that out without hurting Luke or actually marrying Chris like that. We did that all wrong.

Their talk had gone on and on, they talked about the future and what they both wanted. They wanted their relationship to work; they needed their relationship to work. They expressed their love for each other without actually saying the words, it was too soon for that, but they began the long road to recovery and knew it could and would only get better from here.

At three thirty, with both starting to yawn more than words were able to be formed Luke walked Lorelai home. They walked through Stars Hollow hand in hand, Luke listening to Lorelai talk about Rory, the whole meltdown, and her break up with Logan.

Lorelai smiled as she remembered him kiss her goodnight on the porch and the promise she'd made to stop by the diner the next day.

There had been sweet, sweet dreams for both of them that night as they drifted off to sleep in their separate beds.

Lorelai finally decided she should get up and greet the day; after all, it was going to be a fabulous day, because she was back with Luke.

Rory was sitting at the kitchen table drinking her coffee and reading the paper when she heard movement upstairs.

So, mom's finally up. She thought, glancing at the clock, almost lunchtime.

She contemplated going upstairs to greet her mom and to find out what had her sleeping in so late, but she ended up not moving fast enough. Lorelai flew into the kitchen, glowing and vibrant.

"Good morning hon!" She exclaimed and Rory stared at her blankly.

"Good morning to you too, mom. Someone sure woke up on the right side of the bed today huh?" Rory asked as Lorelai sat down across from her, she handed her a pop-tart.

"Sure did, had the best nights sleep in a long time. Thanks." She replied, smiling, biting into her breakfast.

"And I'm sure a flannel wearing, backwards baseball cap diner owner had nothing to do with this very good mood." Rory cocked her head to one side, she'd heard her mom and Luke kissed in front of Luke's and now she wanted details.

"Oh, no, he has everything to do with this mood." Lorelai replied simply, a deep red blush creeping up into her cheeks.

"He isn't…upstairs now…is he?" Rory asked, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"What?! No, nothing like that. We just talked, a lot. For hours actually, about everything. It was so great, to talk Rory, I'm so happy."

"Mom, that's great. I'm so thrilled for you."

"Go ahead, say it."

"Say what?"

There's an 'I told you so' flying around in that brain of yours, so go ahead, say it."

"Well…"

"Ha, I knew it! You were thinking it."

"Maybe, but I'm glad I was right and I'm glad you're happy."

"Me too, me too," Lorelai smiled again, fingering the delicate necklace she wore. "Hey, let's go get some lunch."

"But you just ate breakfast."

"So, I'm hungry for a burger. Care to join me?"

"Luke's?"

"Luke's."

Mother and daughter headed into town, arm in arm, smile's radiating.

The diner had been bustling all morning, talks flying, everyone with their own opinion of what had happened between Stars Hollow's favorite couple the night before.

Babette and Miss Patty figured they'd had crazy, passionate make-up sex all night.

Kirk thought they'd pulled an all night movie session, which they'd been known to do.

And Taylor was sure they'd broken some town ordinance and vowed to find out.

No one knew what had transpired, but at then when there was still no sign of either, the talk grew more.

They were sorely disappointed when Caesar could provide no information past the "Luke called me and asked me to open" he'd repeated countless times.

And then he appeared, clad just as normal as every other day, only today it was accompanied by a smile so bright you could see it for miles. A smile that had been missing from his face for a year.

This just fueled Miss Patty's assumptions and Luke could feel the eyes on him.

But he didn't care. Last night had been perfect, kissing Lorelai especially. He had missed her and not just the kissing, but her smile, her laugh, all of her. He loved her more than life itself and last night she reciprocated those feelings. Luke felt like flying.

Not more than thirty minutes after Luke appeared in the diner the Gilmore girls appeared as well and Miss Patty frowned.

Lorelai didn't spend the night here after all? She thought, odd.

They were chatting about something, lost to all the world and everyone could see how happy she was.

Luke walked out of the kitchen and his breath caught. There she was, the woman he loved, his smile grew wider.

Play it cool Luke, you two still have a long way to go before being completely together again. Luke thought to himself. He took a deep breath before walking to their table, coffee pot in hand.

"Coffee?"

"You have to ask?" Lorelai teased looking up at him, blue eyes shining, and he nearly melted.

"Well, this is what I do, take orders here." He replied taking every resolve not to grab her hand and lead her upstairs. Taking it slow was going to be hard.

"Huh? Is that so? Well, then, fill 'em up." Lorelai responded, teetering on the edge of self control. "And we'll also take burgers, extra cheese with chili fries."

"Coming right up," Luke smiled at her and walked back into kitchen. He could wait, couldn't he?

Lorelai watched Luke walk away and smiled. When she looked across the table Rory was smirking at her.

"What?"

"I can see it in your face, you want to ravish him."

"Stop it."

"You do, go on. I'm sure the storage room would work nicely."

"Rory!" Lorelai scolded her blush darkening. "Quit teasing. I told you already, we're taking this slow. Not exactly starting over but not exactly picking up where we left off either. It's complicated."

"I know, sorry for teasing."

"Don't, I understand. He just, he still makes me nervous. I get butterflies whenever I think about him or see him. It's rediscovering our feelings all over again."

"Have I told you how happy I am for you?"

"Yes, darling, you have. And thanks kid."

They paused as Luke approached burgers and chili fries in hand.

"Here ya go, on the house."

"Luke…"

"No arguments today. Enjoy." He smiled at her and she nodded.

Yes, waiting was going to be hard but it would be totally worth it.

Totally.

Rory felt like she had been unpacking for days, probably because she had.

She was getting settled back into her old room, while at the same time developing a whole new routine. She didn't let herself think about the letters she had been receiving from all over the country, since they all said the same thing…Sorry, at this time we aren't looking to fill any positions.

A job would come, that is what everyone had been telling her. She just hoped they were right. Pulling the last box out of her car she sighed in relief.

I'm so glad to be almost done, she thought to herself as she opened the box.

When she looked down tears felled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

There sitting on top of some of her books lay the rocket Logan had given her when he'd left for London.

Rory gently picked it up before sitting down on the edge of her bed. She didn't hold back the tears; she couldn't even if she had wanted to. She hated how empty she felt, they had left everything so unfinished and that was the worst part for her.

She picked up her notepad and placed the rocket in front of her on her bed. Hands shaking she started to write, Dear Logan…

Author's note: Please, please, please read and review. If you hate it let me know, if you love it tell me. Hope atleast you are enjoying it. I'm enjoying writing it. I'm going to continue. This is what season 8 would be like it I had the choice.