Chapter 22 – A New Beginning

-oOo-

After safely driving the elder Gilmores home, Luke and Lorelai drove back to Stars Hollow. He wondered what would happen tonight – would Lorelai still ask him to stay over, now that her dad was out of the hospital?

He walked her up to her front door, trying to think of what to say. But Lorelai didn't notice his hesitation and went straight in, fully expecting him to follow her. "Want a beer?" she called out from the kitchen.

Luke breathed a sigh of relief. "Sure," he replied, sitting down at his usual place at the couch.

Lorelai came back with a beer for him and a glass of wine for herself. She gave him a smile as she handed him the beer, but instead of curling up beside him, as she did for the past week, she sat on the other end of the couch. She studiously avoided looking at him as she sipped her wine. Luke started feeling nervous again.

"So… we should probably talk," Lorelai murmured, breaking the silence.

"Yes, of course," he replied, trying to mask the uneasiness in his voice.

"Luke… The past few months, I've… I've learned to live without you. It was really hard, but I realize I can do it. I'm strong enough to do it."

Luke's heart sank. He opened his mouth to reply but Lorelai raised her hand, palms out, to ask him to wait until she was finished.

"I can live without you, Luke," she continued, finally looking at him. "But it doesn't mean I want to live without you."

Luke's heart started to beat rapidly. "What do you mean?"

"Luke… I'm ready to try again."

Luke quickly laid his beer on the coffee table and was right next to Lorelai in no time at all. He stared at her bright blue eyes with a searching look.

"Are you sure, Lorelai? I mean, are you really sure?" he asked ardently. "I don't want you to decide on this while you're feeling, you know, overwhelmed with what happened to your Dad."

Lorelai reached up to stroke his cheeks gently, and smiled. "That's not it, I promise. I've thought about this for a long time. I'm ready."

"Thank God," he breathed. He couldn't wait any longer – he put his arms around her and kissed her with all the passion and love that he kept bottled up in the last few months.

She eagerly responded to his kiss and kept stroking his cheeks with one hand and rubbing his back with the other. "I missed this," she murmured breathlessly. "I missed you."

"Me too," Luke mumbled back as he kissed his way down to her neck, staying at the spot near her collarbone that she loved. Lorelai couldn't help but moan and arch her back towards him. At the sound, Luke pulled away quickly and looked at her with dark eyes.

"Lorelai," he said, breathing heavily. "Look at me."

Lorelai opened her eyes. "Luke."

"I'm all in, "he said, looking at her intently. "I swear this time I mean it. No secrets."

"I know."

"This time our relationship will work out."

"I know."

"Lorelai… Will you marry me?"

Lorelai sat up in surprise. "What?"

"I bought a new ring for you. It's at my apartment though. I, uh, I wasn't really planning on proposing tonight."

Lorelai shook her head, as if trying to clear off the fog from her head. "I don't understand," she said slowly. "A new ring? Did you throw out the old one?"

"No, I just wanted to give you a new ring, to prove that things will be different this time."

"O-kaaaay," she replied hesitantly. "Seems like a waste of money though."

"Not to me it isn't," he said dismissively. "But… you haven't given me your answer yet. Lorelai, will you…"

"Yes."

"Well, you don't have to answer so…"

"Yes."

"We can take a minute to…"

"No."

"So we are…"

"Getting married," Lorelai said happily, pulling Luke closer to her. And this time, when they kissed, they knew it would be like this for them forever.

-oOo-

THE END