A/N: Another chapter is here. This one is fun-filed JavaJunkieness! So sit back, relax, and enjoy. Oh, and pretty, pretty, pretty please review!
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own it. I'm dealing.
"So, where you do want to head?" Luke asked, pulling an atlas from the backseat of their rental car.
"Um," Lorelai started, until she saw the map. "No map! Maps are against the Gilmore road trip rules."
"Lorelai, if you think I'm driving cross country without a map, you are crazy. Now I agreed not to have an itinerary, but that is where I draw the line. The map stays." Luke argued. Lorelai batted her eyelashes and stuck out her bottom lip in the Gilmore pout, hoping to make Luke cave and put the map away. It didn't work, Luke held his ground. They sat in silence, neither wanting to cave in
"Fine, we'll use a map." Lorelai finally relented and Luke tried hard to hide his victory smile. It didn't work. "Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you've won, just because I'm letting you use a map doesn't mean…"
"Anything, I know. Okay, can we not fight about this, it isn't worth it. Let's just decided where we want to go first."
"Sounds fine," Lorelai leaned over and they stared at the map together. "What about L.A.? I haven't been there since I was a kid."
"We could, but I was thinking north. Drive through Oregon and then stop in Seattle…"
"Oooh! I like that idea! I've never been to Seattle and I've always wanted to see the Space Needle thingy. Yay! We have our first stop. Let's go!" Lorelai was all smiles again as Luke started the car and they took off towards the interstate.
"Are you going to be okay?" Luke asked Lorelai, surprised at her silence not more then ten minutes after they were driving.
"I will be, eventually. It's just, I feel like I'm abandoning her. My little girl," the tears were threatening to spill over as she spoke.
Luke pulled the car over to the side of the road and pulled Lorelai into his arms as best he could with the middle console between them.
"You aren't abandoning here, she's just growing up. I know that's scary and I know you're sad, but in the end you'll see this will be the best for you."
"I know. It's still just really hard." Lorelai was still sobbing and Luke's shoulder was getting increasingly wet. He didn't mind though, as long as Lorelai was next to him he wouldn't mind being the shoulder she cried on.
"I know, but you'll still talk consistently and she'll visit and we'll visit."
"You're right," Lorelai sat back and wiped her eyes dry. "I can't be all gloomy. I have you and our future, Rory's growing up, getting older, I have to let go."
They sat there for just another minute before Lorelai pulled back and looked at Luke, "Thanks."
"Eh, it's nothing."
"No, it is something. You are always there for me, even when I'm blubbering like an idiot, sad I'm leaving my twenty-two year old daughter, you're there."
"I will always be here." Another minute later Luke pulled back onto the road, headed to Seattle. This was going to be a good trip.
Luke cursed his internal alarm clock when it roused him from sleep early the next morning. They had arrived in Seattle late, about eleven, found a hotel downtown, and then crashed. There was something about driving in a car that wore him down and tired him out far more quickly then any work he even had to do so he had wrapped Lorelai into his embrace and sleep came shortly after. Waking up though was something he could never get around and today was no different. He willed himself to go back to sleep, even for a few more hours, but his body refused. He finally relented and quietly he removed himself from their bed, careful not to wake the stunningly beautiful woman beside him.
It was early, about seven, and he knew that he had several hours before Lorelai would be awake and functioning so he decided a visit to the gym he had seen the night before was warranted. Two hours later he was back in their room, showered, and reading through the sightseeing brochures the hotel had provided on the patio.
"Hey," Lorelai's voice penetrated his thoughts and he turned to see the woman he loved leaning against the door frame.
"Hey," he greeted back, there was something about her presence that always made his heart beat faster than normal.
"What are you reading?" Lorelai came the rest of the way on the patio and placed herself on Luke's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Trying to scope out the best places to visit while we are in town today," Luke answered, his hands immediately went to her hips and his lips touched hers gently.
"Yeah? Find anything good?"
"I did actually. Besides the Space Needle which is the main reason we came here, I found the perfect place to take you."
"Really, where?" Lorelai's voice went up in pitch, which was her normal excited, curious voice.
"It is a surprise. I'm not telling you till we get there."
"Not fair!" Lorelai started to pull away in frustration, but Luke's hands kept her in place.
"Completely fair, it's my surprise. Now, let me make you some coffee and we'll get going for the day."
"You are actually agreeing to provide me with the fluid that will rot my insides? Why Luke Danes, I'm shocked!"
"Well, if it keeps you quiet and happy why should I complain?
"You shouldn't! Okay, so give me about an hour and I'll be ready to go, I promise." Lorelai started back inside pulling Luke by the hand behind her. Ninety minutes later they were out the door.
Walking hand in hand through the streets of Seattle was enough for both Lorelai and Luke to be happy and content. They'd been exploring the downtown area now for a couple hours, stopping in little stores, experiencing the history there. Luke smiled to himself, knowing the expression that Lorelai would have when they finally made their way to his surprise.
"Oh, look Luke, there is the entrance to the Space Needle. Can we go up?" Lorelai asked her blue eyes bright with happiness.
"Sure, let's go." They rode the elevator up to the observation deck and looked out over the city. Lorelai looked out, amazed at how small the city looked from five hundred and twenty feet in the air.
"Isn't this amazing?" Lorelai whispered against Luke's ear, afraid that if she spoke any louder it would break the spell. Luke wrapped his arms around Lorelai's middle and she laid her head on his shoulder. They stood there together, lost in their surroundings, content being together.
After several moments together their silence was broken by a small child running and laughing in front of them. The little boy pressed his nose to the glass and Lorelai chuckled. Absentmindedly she placed her hand on her stomach, the longing evident. Ever since their conversation in the hospital when Sookie's baby was born she had dreamed of starting a family with Luke. They weren't getting any younger and her biological clock was ticking.
Luke, sensing her thoughts, whispered, "It'll happen for us."
"What if it doesn't?" Lorelai's words were laced with fear and anxiety.
"It will, I have every confidence that it will."
"But…"
Luke didn't let her finish. He turned her body in his arms so that she faced him then placed his forehead on hers. As he spoke Lorelai was convinced that she had been completely crazy to ever let this man out of her life, "I love you. That is how I know that starting a family with you will happen. We just have to have patience and keep trying."
"I love you." Lorelai brought her lips to Luke's and they shared a kiss. Lorelai smiled through the kiss and Luke laughed against her mouth. Soon they were both laughing out loud, earning them strange looks from the people around them. They stayed there for quite awhile, leaving only when Lorelai started begging for food. They found a little restaurant not far and settle in for their meal.
"Luuke, we've been walking around all day and you still haven't told me where you are taking me. What is this surprise you keep promising?" Lorelai was whining, but it still made Luke smile.
"We just haven't made it there yet, patience."
Lorelai turned to face him, putting her full effort into the perfected pout. It worked just how she wanted.
"Fine, we'll head there now." Lorelai squealed, causing Luke to jump and he just shook his head. Ushering her into a cab they headed to the Pike Place Market.
"What's this?" asked Lorelai, as they exited the cab.
"This is the historic Pike Place Market," answered Luke, not divulging too much information.
"And you brought me here because?" Her curiosity perked she looked at him expectantly. He caved.
"Follow me, there's not point in torturing you any longer." Pulling her through the crowded walk they ended in front of a very famous coffee shop.
"Starbucks?" Lorelai asked, clearing not catching on.
"The original Starbucks, the first Starbucks to every serve a cup of coffee." Luke answered, his chest puffing out slightly, proud of himself for discovering the place for her.
She squealed again, "Ah! Luke this great, amazing, and about fifty other thousands words of awesomeness! I have to call Rory."
Excited, she grabbed her phone as she drug Luke instead. Stopping for a moment in the entryway she took a deep breath in, inhaling the smell she loved so much. They spent far longer there than Luke would have liked, but seeing her so happy he didn't care. He would do anything to keep that smile on her face and that glow in her eyes.
It was late afternoon before they left Pike Place Market and Lorelai suddenly got very antsy about the time.
"Lorelai, what's wrong""
"Wrong, nothing is wrong, why do you say something is wrong?" The line came out in one jumbled mess and Luke raised his eyebrows at her. "Well, let's just say I have a surprise for you tonight."
He couldn't help himself, "dirty."
"Luke, I walked right into that one, huh?" she asked and he nodded. "But no, that isn't exactly what I meant. We have to get to the hotel and change if we are going to make it on time."
"On time for what?"
"My turn for a surprise, but come on, we have to go now."
Thirty minutes later Lorelai was pushing him out the door, fueling his curiosity higher.
"Lorelai, where are we going?"
"It's a surprise, can't you just leave it at that?" she responded, flippantly and he couldn't help but laugh. About two minutes into the car ride Luke knew exactly where they were headed, the signs confirmed his guess.
"Safeco Field? We're going to a baseball game?" Luke's voice couldn't betray his surprise and Lorelai just smiled.
"We've done some many things that I've wanted to do so far and I know there are so more to come, that I wanted to do something for you. The concierge at the hotel hooked me up with some tickets for us. Is this ok?"
"Ok? This is great! I haven't been to a game in awhile. A couple years, probably, thanks." Luke's smiled lit up his face like a little boy and Lorelai smiled, thrilled at the response of her surprise.
Hours later, exhausted from the massive amounts of walking and sight seeing they collapsed onto their bed in the hotel. The baseball game had been interesting, enough to keep Lorelai entertained with the players in the tight pants and enormous amounts of junk she'd consumed from the concession stand.
"Before we go to sleep we should figure out where we want to head in the morning," Luke mumbled sleepily and Lorelai groaned. "Come on, let's just look at the map real quick."
Sitting up she glanced it over, trying to figure out the best route to take and what exciting place they would go next. Then she saw it.
"I have the perfect place!" The suddenness of Lorelai's outburst shocked Luke and he looked at her waiting for her answer. "Minneapolis."
"Why?" It was such a random place, even for Lorelai Gilmore.
"Well…you see, there's this place there I've always wanted to go, but I've just never gotten around to it."
"What is it?"
"The Mall of America," Lorelai's eyes shone bright with excitement and Luke knew he'd lost the battle already.
"To Minneapolis then tomorrow," his voice didn't hide his lack of enthusiasm, but it didn't faze Lorelai.
Laying her head back down, she smiled, "Rory is going to be so jealous."
Seconds later they were both asleep.
A/N: Did you like? Did ya? Tell me please!! It's not hard or long to review and even the short reviews help! Thanks!