Disclaimer- Gilmore Girls and the characters associated with the show are not mine.

Chapter Five- Friday 1:00 PM –Luke

He hit me. I didn't get the meth cut the way he wanted me to, and he beat me, giving me a black eye and a fat lip. I won't be able to go to the faire this weekend to sell my jewelry. Hopefully, Cassie can mind my booth. I don't get it. How do I always pick these losers? What draws me to them? Oh well, I guess I deserve it. Karma kicking me in the ass.

Propping himself up against the wall, leaning over the filthy airplane toilet in the cramped bathroom, Luke was ill again. Gargling with the tepid tap water, he spit into the sink and watched the remnants of his breakfast swirl down the small drain. He knew he shouldn't have eaten, but Lorelai insisted he try, and every bite of the blueberry muffin stuck in his throat. He'd choked it down under her watchful eyes, and now he was paying the price. And the damn ding of the "fasten your seatbelt" sign, echoing in the tiny room, was akin to driving sharp knives into his head.

In a short while, they'd be landing, they'd rent a car, GPS the location of the police station, and find the closest hotel to it. Then they'd wait. They'd wait for the morning appointment and answers. Dabbing at his forehead with a wet paper towel, Luke knew it was the waiting he dreaded. Sliding the pocket door open, he stumbled back to his seat, next to a worried Lorelai. He ignored the glares of the flight attendants as he buckled his belt, tried to prepare for the landing, and everything after.

Arriving at the hotel, Luke headed into the bathroom to shower and Lorelai reached for the phone to call for room service. She knew Luke wouldn't eat, but felt they had to at least try. Realizing she hadn't turned on her own phone yet, she put the hotel phone down, sat on the edge of the bed, and dug her cell out of her purse. Seeing she'd missed Rory's text, she dialed, and bouncing her knee up and down, she waited.

"Hey sweets, how's my boys?"

"I'm not sure, on the surface, Garret and Jess are both okay. Jess insists he's fine, right now he's fixing the schedules to cover the diner. I convinced him to stay out of it as much as possible since we have Garret. I don't want him to throw himself into work," Rory replied, staring through the kitchen window, watching Garret play fetch with Paul Anka. It was obvious how old the hound was getting, as it ambled after the ball, slowly fetching and returning to Garret's side.

"Wouldn't work be good for him? Keep his mind off of Liz?" Lorelai began pacing around the hotel room.

"No, not this time. I want Jess to open up, to accept it, not hide from it."

"How are you going to manage that?" she said, ear to the bathroom door. Lorelai listened to the running water. Listening for pain below the surface.

"I'm going to make him uncomfortable, I guess. I'm not sure. I just know he isn't hiding yet, and I don't want him to start," Rory replied, hearing the front door open. Jess was back. "How's Luke doing?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Not good," Lorelai replied, "not good at all, and I'm not sure how to help him. He's always been so strong, and now-"

"Let him lean on you, mom, and if he won't, support him anyway," Rory said, as Jess came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I have to go. Luke's getting out of the shower. Tell Garret and Jess we love them," Lorelai added before hanging up and sitting back down on the bed to wait for Luke. She thought about what Rory had said, about making Jess uncomfortable. Luke was already uncomfortable, to the point of being sick. She needed to make him react to something besides his grief. He was a protector; maybe she could use his instincts. Deciding not to order room service, she dropped down on the bed, with her arms across her stomach. She directed her gaze at the ceiling when she heard the bathroom door open.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Luke shoved his dirty clothes into the duffel they'd brought with, and realizing he hadn't heard a sound, sought out Lorelai, who was motionless.

"Are you okay? Lorelai, what's wrong?" he asked, moving so he could see her face, glancing up at the ceiling, confused by the lack of anything there, he looked back down, and waited.

"I talked to Rory, they seem to be okay. Jess was arranging coverage at the diner," Lorelai replied, trying to keep her voice monotone.

"How long before food gets here?" Luke asked, trying to spark her interest. Room service always made her happy.

"I didn't order."

"What? Why not? I thought you were hungry, you're always hungry," Luke said, getting worried. "Are you getting sick?" he asked, putting his hand on her forehead. Lorelai fought back a smile. "You have to eat something. Where's the menu?" Luke said, moving to the desk and leafing through it. "I'm ordering soup for both of us, and a cheeseburger for you. I'll get myself a turkey sandwich. You have to eat Lorelai, I'm going to need you to be strong for me on this trip."

"I just don't feel up for much," Lorelai replied, voice quiet. Although inside her head, she was doing a touchdown dance.

Worried about his wife's unusual behavior, Luke ordered food, including pie and a bottle of wine for later, unpacked, and arranged the pillows behind Lorelai's back, helping her to sit up. Tipping the waiter, Luke sat next to Lorelai on the bed to eat. He had to cajole Lorelai into eating her soup, and noticed quickly, that she didn't reach for a bite until after he did. He led her through the meal, eating in drinking in tandem. As they finished their food in silence, Luke was at a loss. This whole trip Lorelai had been trying to be upbeat, supportive, now she was almost despondent. She'd even shaken her head no to the pie. Lorelai never refused pie.

Picking up their empty dishes and placing them in the hall, Luke sat on the bed and took her hands in his. "Lorelai, please talk to me. Are you worried about Jess and Garret?"

"I'm worried about all of you, Luke. I'm worried about Doula, about T.J. even. I'm definitely worried about Jess, but I know he'll be there for Garret, and Rory will be there for them. Mostly, right now, I'm worried about you."

"You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine. The last thing I want is you making yourself sick. Come here," he said, pulling Lorelai into his arms. "Kiss me, then let's sleep for a while. I'm exhausted. Later tonight we'll wake up, drink the wine I ordered, eat the pie, and watch a late night movie. I know you love those."

"Well, what's not to love? They're generally the worst movies ever made. I like your plan, especially if it involves kissing and napping. I'm exhausted too," Lorelai said, placing a gentle kiss on Luke's lips, keeping it light. Luke let Lorelai rearrange the pillows, and wrapped his arms around her as they fell asleep. He didn't notice her satisfied smile.