A/N: Mini chapter update before I lose wifi for the move.

Friday morning in the diner felt quieter than usual. Though, if Luke was honest with himself, every morning without Lorelai and Rory in the diner was quieter than usual. He wiped down a recently vacated table and placed new cups and cutlery, ready for the next customer.

Back behind the counter he started a fresh pot of coffee and leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest to wait for it to brew. He spotted Lorelai's jeep over the square, the damned thing was always so easy to spot, and watched as Rory hopped out, leaned in to kiss her mother goodbye then waved as she drove off.

Then, much to Luke's surprise, instead of taking her usual seat at the bus stop, she turned and practically marched toward the diner. His first instinct was to run. Hide. Get away from her, but he stood frozen, almost willing her to get there faster, and do or say whatever it was she was gearing herself up for.

The bells chimed over the door and Rory seemed to falter. Luke grabbed a to-go cup and poured her a drink.

"Coffee?" he offered, as if it were an olive branch.

"Without the lecture?" she said with a smile, as she dropped her school bag at her feet and slid onto a stool at the end of the counter.

"One time offer." Rory accepted the coffee and sipped it slowly, basking in the familiar aroma and flavour. "You eating?" He looked up at the clock. "You're bus will be along any minute."

"That's ok, I'm taking a later bus."

"So you're eating?"

"Jack omelette with bacon."

"Coming right up."

Partially wanting to prepare her food himself, and partially wanting to be away from her studious gaze, Luke went into the kitchen. When he returned with her food she had shed her blazer and was reading a large book.

"Here you go."

"Thanks Luke." She smiled at him with such genuine warmth that it made his heart ache. "So," she said when she noticed he was inching away. "How's tricks?"

"Tricks?"

"Business. How's business?"

"Good." He eyed her shrewdly, wondering what she was getting at.

"The diner seems quiet today?"

"We had bigger crowd earlier. Everyone is gone out to work on the firelight festival stuff already."

"Ah I see." She continued to eat her omelette. "So work is good huh? How is life then outside of work?"

"Good."

"Hmmm."

"Hmmm?" he repeated back at her with a questioning look.

"Oh I was just checking in. Ya know. You took that fishing trip a few weeks ago, That's not something you usually do."

"I needed the break."

"Break? From what?"

Luke stepped in front of her and placed his hands on the counter. He leaned in closer to speak only to her. "Did your mother send you in here?"

Rory leaned back a little. She wasn't sure she had ever seen Luke look angry. Ranting yet, but not genuinely angry. "No. She did not."

"Because if she really wants to know how I'm doing, she can come in herself." Luke heard his voice, heard the words but felt panicked even at the thought of her coming in to the diner.

"Can she?" Rory challenged. Luke was taken aback by her ferocity and leaned back a little himself.

"Of course she can."

"Well she doesn't think she can."

"Why? What has she said to you?"

"Nothing. She said you just needed some space. That you were stressed and she thought it was best if she stayed away." Luke fidgeted with the cups below the counter, arranging and rearranging them needlessly, avoiding Rory's eyes. "So...is that true?"

"Yeah."

"So you guys had a fight?" Rory said with a sigh.

"No, not a fight."

"So why the sudden need for space?"

"Rory-"

"What is it Luke, what is it that is suddenly so stressful in your life that means you and my mother can no longer be friends?"

Luke paused. He wanted to say something, but this was the wrong Gilmore to argue with. He felt his shoulders sag a little and he leaned back against the counter behind him. "Nothing." Luke watched as she put her fork on her now empty plate. Fished out a few notes and tossed them onto the counter beside it then slid off the chair and grabbed her Chilton blazer and her school bag.

"Well whatever it is that you guys are fighting about…"

"We're not fighting."

"I just hope you guys aren't too old before you realise how silly all this is," she said ignoring his protest.

Rory turned, hurried out of the diner and left Luke in her wake, confused and frustrated. When the phone rang on the wall behind him he snatched the receiver off the wall.

"Luke's," he barked into the phone, keeping his eyes on Rory's retreat. "No we're not delivering today, too many road closures for the festival...I don't care if Al's is delivering. We're not...so go order from Al's then...What?...You know what, give me your address and I'll come right around and show you what you can do with the...Hello? Hello?!"

Luke put the phone back onto the hook and looked out the window to see if he could still see Rory but all he saw was the bus retreating. "Dammit."

The bells over the door chimed again and he saw Kirk approaching. He was wearing his postal service uniform and Luke felt his gut tighten.

"Morning Luke," he said as he approached the counter and rifled through the envelopes in his large shoulder bag.

"What have you got for me?" Luke leaned on the counter, both hands flat on the smooth surface to stop himself from snatching the bag himself.

"I know I saw something for you in here…"

"Kirk."

"It was a big thick envelope…"

"Kirk!"

"I looked super official."

"Kirk, for the love of god, if you don't-"

"Ah, here it is." He pulled a large A4 envelope out of the bag. "It's from Wilson Jones and associates." he said as he read the sender info from the top corner. "Divorce papers Luke? Perhaps a will? A court appearance?"

"Kirk, give me the envelope."

"DId you inherit something valuable?"

"Kirk, if I have to come around this counter to get that envelope, I'm going to be reaching down your throat to grab it

Kirk stared at Luke for a beat then dropped the envelope onto the counter and hurried away. Luke waited until the door was shut behind him to look down at the envelope. Sure enough, embossed on the top left corner of the envelope was the mediator company's name and address. Luke picked it up slowly and turned it over to the seal. He slipped his finger in one side and started to rip it open but with every inch it tore, his heart twisted.

What if he had to give Liz half his diner? What if he had to sell? What if...shit, what if he lost everything? Though it was a picture of Lorelai that popped in his heat at that moment.

He looked down at the torn envelope and his heart pushed it's way up to his throat as his fingers fumbled for the pages inside. "Dammit, come on…" He yanked them out and took a minute before turning them round and reading the letter quickly.

"Finds against the plaintiff... wait, am I the plaintiff?" he muttered to himself then continued to read. "Luke Danes retains full ownership." He read that line over and over and each time he did his heard calmed down and went back to its regular position. "Full ownership...Yes!" he shouted punching both arms high into the air.

But as quick as his elation soared, it plummeted, as he thought about his sister. He picked up the phone and quickly dialled her number.

"Hello?" came her timid greeting.

"Liz, it's me."

"Luke!" was all she got out. Luke heard a scuffle, and the next voice he heard was not his sister.

"Please don't call here."

"Listen here you, put Liz back on the phone."

"We've still got an open mediation so you should not be calling here."

"I'm not calling about that, put Liz back on the phone."

"Please contact her through her lawyer."

"Who's that?" Luke spat through gritted teeth. "You?"

"Yeah, and I said she is not coming to the phone."

Before Luke could say anything else, the phone was slammed down. Luke stared at the receiver for a few minutes more and felt all his relief abolished in place of a fiery hot fury. He paced the diner for a few rounds then slammed his hands flat on the counter and bent his head so his chin was on his chest.

He took a few deep breaths, tried to calm himself down and only then did he realise this was exactly the position he was in when Lorelai came into the diner a few weeks ago. He whipped around as if he expected her to come in but his doorway was empty. He tried to ignore the pang of disappointment and stood away from the counter that was holding him up. He looked around the empty diner and suddenly he needed to be out of here. He went to the door, flipped the sign to closed then went out to his truck and drove off.

By the time Sunday arrived, Lorelai was so sick of dates, small talk, dinners out and goodbye kisses that she was walking with purpose towards the founders punch. She dropped a five dollar bill on the counter in front of Ms Patty.

"It's only a dollar a cup honey!" Patty said as she started to reach for the change.

Lorelai picked up one cup and drained it. Then picked up two more. "I'll be back for the rest."

She walked away with both cups and found a bench where she could get a good view of the fire, the gazebo the stage, the crowd. Everything in view. And what needed to be behind her was behind her, out of view.

She sipped her drink and spotted Sookie moving through the crowd with Jackson. She waved and smiled and Sookie said something to Jackson before weaving her way through the crowd to sit next to her.

"Here," Lorelai said and handed her one of her drinks.

"Oh! Punch!" Sookie giggled and sipped the lethal concoction. "Oh...strong!"

"Yeah," Lorelai said and she took a large gulp of her own drink.

"So…"

"Before you ask, it was fine." Lorelai sipped her drink. "He was perfectly pleasant, We talked about movies most of the time, we had a drink, and some appetisers, he walked me home, we had a kiss and then he left."

"Patented Gilmore first date," Sookie said, somewhat under her breath but loud enough to be sure Lorelai heard it.

"Patented?"

"Well it's been date after date after date-"

"Sookie!" Lorelai elbowed her friend. "You make me sound like a call girl."

"Oh honey, that's not what I mean." Sookie leaned against her friend. "You go on all the dates you want, you meet all the men you want, share all the kisses you want. You're a beautiful smart, hilarious single woman. Why wouldn't you go on all these dates."

"So why the snide comments?"

"Because you're not going on these dates because you want to, you're going on them to prove something."

"Prove what?"

"Prove to Luke that you're desirable."

"I'm not trying to prove anything." Lorelai sipped her drink and watched the crowd. "I'm just trying to…"

"To?" Sookie urged as Lorelais voice faded away.

"to...I dunno Sookie, I'm just trying to not think about him."

Sookie draped an arm over her shoulder, pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the side of her head. She sat like that for a few minutes more and would have stayed like that for longer until Jackson came running over in a tizzy.

"Sookie, Sookie! The pumpkins! The pumpkins!"

"What?"

"The pumpkins Sookie, quick!" He urged her to follow and hurried off.

Sookie and Lorelai looked at each other in confusion. "I better go, either something terrible is happening to the pumpkins, or something wonderful, I'm not sure which is worse." Se gave Lorelai one more hug then hurried away after Jackson.

Lorelai settled back into the bench and sipped the last of her punch then reached over for the remains of Sookie's cup. She watched the towns people wander around the square, laughing, singing, dancing, cuddling by the fire and queueing for more punch. She watched Rory and Lane sitting on the edge of the gazebo huddled and sharing secrets that made them both laugh and she couldn't help but smile.

Then she saw Luke. He was over by the bbq pit, a long neck bottle of beer dangling from one hand, the other buried in the back pocket of his jeans. He was smiling at something Tom was saying and that smile made her anger bubble up from where she had pushed it down, buried deep deep below her surface. Laughing? He was laughing? Was he not feeling that same hot shame she was living with? That thought made her angry. She found her eyes fixed on him no matter where he moved.

Luke noticed her the minute she arrived. How could he not. That red low cut top and flowing knee high skirt. It would be impossible not to notice her. He watched her march across the square to get a drink. He stared at her as she downed the first drink while still standing at the table, and his mouth fell open when she grabbed two more and walked away. He tried not to watch as she sat on the bench with Sookie. The hug they shared made his heart ache and he wanted to run over and grab her in his own comforting hug, but he figured his hug would not be too welcome.

He tried to look away when Sookie hurried off but he watched her from the corner on his eye. He focused on what Tom was saying and laughed, though he was sure Tom thought he was crazy for laughing at the bbq basting. He finished his beer and excused himself to go find another. Behind the gazebo he found Kirk guarding a large metal tub filled with ice and beer.

"Hey Kirk. Can I get a beer?"

"Sure Luke." He reached down and grabbed a bottle. "You got ID?" he asked when he stood up.

"Kirk."

"No glove, no love."

"What?"

"Well I was trying to come up with a catchy way of saying no ID no beer, but that doesn't rhyme, and I couldn't think of a good word to rhyme with beer, or ale, stout, alcohol."

"So you went with…"

"No glove, no love."

"You're an idiot. Give me a beer."

"No glove-"

"Kirk, so help me if you finish that sentence…"

Kirk noticed Luke clench his fist at his side and stepped back from the tub. "Sure Luke, take a beer, on the house."

Luke bent over and snatched a bottle from the tub. He twisted off the cap and dropped it back in then fished a couple of dollars from his pocket and pressed them into Kirks hand.

"Thanks." He was already drinking the beer when he walked away.

God dammit he felt his whole body tense up and he tried to breathe slowly to calm himself down. Without even thinking about it, his eyes sought her out but the bench she was sitting on was now empty. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long drink.

What was he even doing here? He only ever came to these town events to see or hangout with Lorelai. Though truth be known, that's exactly why he came tonight. He knew Lorelai would be here. He wasn't sure what he would do about it, he wasn't even sure what he wanted to do about it, but he knew she would be here and so he was too.

He circled the gazebo, his eyes bouncing from group to group to try and find her but he couldn't find her. No glimpse of the red top she was wearing, no curls, deep red lips smiling or shining blue eyes sparkling. Nothing. He finished the beer and tossed the bottle into a trash can then patted his pockets to locate his keys and started on his way back towards the diner.

The crowd seemed to be thicker now, as the fire was at its peak and the drink was flowing. One group was line dancing by the gazebo and another was singing sea shanties by the fire. Luke weaved his way through the group, navigating around the dancers and tried to avoid their unpredicted movements but every time he moved one direction they moved that way too. When he shuffled back they danced in front of him. He was just short of barging through when the group twirled and spun around him then parted and he found Lorelai planted against his chest, again.

"Oh!" She looked up at him and her fingers instinctively gripped the lapels of his shirt tighter.

"Sorry," he muttered, his hands instinctively gripping her upper arms .

Lorelai felt her jaw drop open. Sorry? He said sorry? Sorry! He was sorry? Her mind exploded with the possibilities of what it was he could be sorry for and every single one of them warranted an apology. But in the nanosecond it took for those thoughts to form, his hands loosened on her and she started to feel them move away.

"Having a good time?" she blurted out, and she winced at the slight slurring she heard in her own voice.

"Yeah, sure." he muttered, his hands slowly sliding down her arms. "It's the best crazy town event we have."

"Yeah, it's right up there."

He stared down at her, his eyes flitting from her eyes to her lips, back and forth, back and forth, all the while his hands moved past her elbows, down her arms to her wrists.

"Um…" He glanced down at his hands, his fingers encircling her small wrists. "We should talk." he said at the same time as she spoke.

"See you around."

"Oh...you're leaving?" He dropped her hands and shoved his in the back pockets of his jeans.

"I thought you were" she said and tossed a thumb over her shoulder. "Going back to the diner?"

"Yeah, um I was about to."

"Okay, well, good night." She looked away, turned to face the dancing crowd and waited for the large mass of humiliation beside her to leave, but he didn't move.

"Lorelai…" he turned to face her and grabbed her elbow. "Can we talk?"

"Talk?" Slowly she turned to face him. "You want to talk?"

"Yeah, can we go back to the diner, talk, in private."

Lorelai looked at him. For the first time since she ran from his apartment she really looked at him. His eyes were red, it looked like he hadn't slept in a while. He had definitely lost weight and the frown that always divided his eyebrows was deeper than usual.

"Talk, yeah sure. Let me just go tell Rory where I'll be."

"Okay, see you over there? I'll make coffee."

Lorelai nodded. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched as he hurried away. She waited until the diner door closed behind him before making her way over to where Rory and Lane were sitting sipping cokes.

"I'm going to Luke's for a few minutes."

"Oh you guys made up?"

"We're just going to have a chat. I'll meet you at home?"

"Yeah, I'm going to stay here with Lane a little longer, but she has to go home for a prayer meeting at nine, so I'll go home then."

"Great, you order the pizza and I'll see you at home."

"Ok."

"Hey, did you see Sookie anywhere?"

"A little while ago," Rory pointed off towards where Sookie lived. "Jackson was pulling her home, shouting about pumpkins."

"That's some weird vegetable role play stuff."

"Ew mom!" Rory pushed her mother away and Lane giggled beside her. "Go, go make up with Luke so we can go back to having burgers for dinner."

Lorelai smiled and waved then turned to walk to the diner. Ten minutes ago she felt the liquid fire from the founders punch sloshing around giving her the courage to have fun but now it had all pooled around her toes and refused to help her out in the longest journey she'd ever taken over the square to the diner. Each step taking her closer but it never felt so far away.