AN: Hi guys! So happy you're all enjoying the journey :) Much more to come. Cheers!

Lorelai marched down the sidewalk as fast as her 5 inch heels would take her. She crossed her arms against her chest, silently wishing she'd grabbed a scarf…or jacket…or something to fight the autumn chill in the air.

Halfway to the diner, just before she made the right turn onto Main from Maple, she heard a noise, or rather, noises. She turned her head to the left, squinted her eyes through the darkness of the night sky above, and spotted the footbridge that crossed over a narrow portion of Stars Hollow Lake.

There, sitting down on the center of said bridge, feet dangling over the edge and tossing what she assumed were tiny pebbles into the lake, was a man who was un-mistakingly Luke Danes.

"Luke," she breathed out in shock, as she abandoned her walk to the diner and turned towards the bridge, her heels clicking loudly into the night against the stones beneath her.

He'd heard her before she approached, but didn't break his stoic exterior. He sat with a handful of pebbles in his fist, using the other hand to pluck out individual ones to skip against the mirror-like surface of the water.

She approached him cautiously and called his name out again just to be sure he knew it was her, and didn't mistake her for some sort of criminal…or Kirk.

"Luke?"

He finally lifted his head and looked over his shoulder, tilting his head up to meet her eyes that looked shy and unsure, "Lorelai," he said softly in response.

She took that as an invitation to join him, and carefully slipped off her heels, tossed them to the side and took a seat next to him. She scooted close so that they could continue to speak softly to each other, their thighs just grazing.

"It's late," he said, keeping his eyes fixed on the water below.

She nodded, but realized that he couldn't see that, so she verbalized in the affirmative instead, "Yeah."

There was a few beats of comfortable silence between them, both letting their own individual thoughts stir inside their own heads. She studied his profile, his eyes were focused and brow was furrowed. She could practically see the wheels turning in his head. She glanced down at the rest of him and noticed that underneath the dark green Army jacket he was wearing a white t-shirt, pair of gray sweatpants and a pair of running shoes.

"Couldn't sleep?" She said, her soft voice seemed loud in the emptiness of the night.

He took a deep breath and then let go of the rest of the pebbles that were in his hand. They made a soft plop sound against the water, and he rubbed his hand against his thigh before turning his head to face her. "Somethin' like that."

She looked into his eyes and saw sadness etched into them and it broke something inside of her, "I didn't even get to the sleeping portion of the evening yet," She said, gesturing to her dress.

He finally cracked the smallest of smiles, but then swallowed it back in again. Giving her a short nod instead, he then noticed that her bare shoulders were shivering ever so slightly. Without skipping a beat, he slipped off his jacket and leaned over to rest it gently over her shoulders, flipping her thick curls over the collar.

She smiled softly.

"So, I take it you had a rough night too?"

Lorelai wrapped her arms around her middle, the long cuffs of the jacket fell over her hands. She shifted in her seat and caught a whiff of his scent from the collar. She sighed as the scent of burgers, fries, and a musk that was distinctively Luke calmed her nerves before answering his question.

"That's putting it lightly."

He nodded and tried not to notice how utterly perfect she looked in the moonlight wrapped up in his jacket. It swallowed her body in its size, but he couldn't help but think his old coat had ever looked better.

"Are you still mad at me?"

His heart thudded in his chest. He wasn't mad at her. Never was mad at her. He was mad at himself. He'd taken out all that pent up anger on her and, while he wouldn't admit it yet to her, Christopher's sudden reappearance had left him feeling, well, less than secure.

All throughout the dinner rush he burnt food, threw out anyone who even mentioned his surly attitude, rushed people out as soon as they paid their bill, and closed as early as possible.

"I wasn't mad at you."

"It looked like mad, sounded like mad—"

"Ok," He cut her off with a short chuckle, "It may have looked and sounded like mad. But it wasn't, y'know, directed at you."

"I'm so sorry, Luke," she said, her voice wavering.

He shook his head and leaned in, "Hey," he said softly, "I messed up, I shouldn't have assumed anything about what you want, ok? I shoulda listened to you, I mean, God, Lorelai, you talk more than any one person I know, and I shoulda just sat there and listened to you like I normally do, before I shared my own opinion."

She closed her eyes to stop the fall of tears, "No, Luke."

He pointed at his chest, "I'm supposed to be your friend, right?"

"My best friend," she murmured.

"Nah, that's Sookie."

"You're different than that Luke, you're, I don't know, you're more than that to me. More than a, you know, friend. And you're wrong Luke, you're so wrong. I love when you talk, I love to hear your opinion. I mean I don't love it when you tell me I eat too much crap or I'm not allowed my 5th cup of coffee in the morning, but besides all that," she shrugged one shoulder, "I love it when you talk."

"You do?" He asked her, an eyebrow arched in amusement.

She smiled warmly, "You've got pretty good advice you know, besides all the unwarranted health stuff."

"I just want you to survive adulthood with all of your body parts functioning, ok? That superhuman metabolism of yours is going to catch up to you one of these days."

"I'll eat a piece of fruit every now and then that isn't covered in sugar, ok?"

He nodded, "That'll do. For now."

Her voice was soft but steady, "You were wrong, you know."

"I know."

"You know?"

Luke looked her right in the eyes then, "He's not right for you."

"I know."

"You do?"

She sighed, "He kissed me tonight."

His breath caught in his throat and he narrowed his eyes at her, opening his mouth to speak but she continued on, his eyes never leaving hers.

"We were talking, and he kept going on and on about how we're meant to be, and come on Lor, let's get together again for old time's sake," she said in a deep voice.

"I just sat there listening to him go on and on and…he leaned over and kissed me. God, Luke, I just knew it was wrong. Right away. So, so wrong." She finished, shaking her head in disgust, "I was, well, I hit the drink cart a little too hard tonight at dinner. I was upset about our fight earlier and had all these thoughts and feel—" She paused and collected herself, "Things, things going on in my head. I was distracted, and when I drink I can get kind of, I get a little flirty I guess. We were reminiscing, like two old friends, you know?"

She let out an annoyed sigh, "But I didn't want that to happen. I told him point-blank that we're over and we've been over."

"So he just leaned over and kissed you? To hell with what you were saying?"

Finally tearing her eyes away from him, she looked down into her lap, "Maybe it was my faul—"

"Lorelai," he leaned closer to her, close enough to smell the distinct sweetness of her perfume, and spoke in a no-nonsense tone, "You did nothing wrong. A guy who's known you as long as he has should know that."

She nodded, her eyes still downcast.

"Lorelai, he said in a softer tone, trying to get her eyes to meet his.

After a moment, he reached a hand out and gently tilted her chin towards up and towards him, "Lorelai," he repeated.

She swallowed thickly, a rush of heat flooded her veins at his gentle touch. Her chest was rising and falling quickly as her heart sped up, "Luke," she whispered.

It was now or never. They'd had so many almost moments. And after the day she'd had, she knew that the one constant she did have, would always have, other than her daughter, was Luke. He was steady, he was safe, and warm, and…he was staring deep into her eyes, a flicker of what she determined had to be…lust? Was that always there?

God, he was sexy as hell.

"I—," he whispered.

She didn't need the words. God, for once in her life, she didn't need the words.

Closing the distance, Lorelai leaned in and captured his impossibly soft, full lips. In a beat, Luke had moved his hand from beneath her chin and lifted his other one so he could cup both sides of her face, her lips parting instantly and meeting his tongue in an exploratory dance.

Softly, sweetly, she let out a moan that had Luke practically melting into the kiss.

She used one of her hands that was swimming in the sleeve of his jacket to yank him by the neck of his thin white t-shirt, angling her body even closer.

When the lack of oxygen became too much to bear, they gently pulled apart, leaving only millimeters between them. Their eyes were still locked on each other, their warm breath mingling, sparks flying every which way.

A gentle hand stroked the back of his neck, playing with the soft curls there and darting her eyes from his own down to his lips. He moved to brush those lips against her jaw, her cheek, her nose, her hair, breathing in the fruity scent of her shampoo. Her jaw falling open in slack at the feathery touch of his kisses, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

The butterflies in her stomach were dangerously electric. With each touch, fiery kiss, caress of his hand, she felt a simmer that she'd simply never felt before. It scared her, but she didn't dare turn away.

He continued his journey, sprinkling kisses all over her face, using his fingers to comb through her hair, loving the feel of her thick locks slipping through his fingers. He paused to look at her, really look at her, and with the slightest shake of his head in disbelief, captured her lips in another searing kiss.

It could have been minutes, it could have been hours out there on that footbridge.

Kisses became more intense, bordering on sloppy.. Hands took on an almost frantic path, caressing and pulling at each other's clothes in sheer desperation.

When she moved to straddle his lap, flinging one leg over his own, he finally broke the trance and shook his head, "Not here," he whispered in regret.

She smiled wickedly, "Luke," she whispered, leaning in to kiss his scruffy jaw and down his neck applying suction for a few moments before kissing her way back up to his ear and nipping at his earlobe, "But, we're all alone."

He got lost in her ministrations for a moment, his resolve weakening until he felt her hand brush teasingly against his groin, and realization hit him again. He gently moved her off of his lap and stood up, helping her to her feet, using both of his hands to push a few stray curls behind her ears. He looked at her with such tenderness then, she thought her heart was going to explode.

"It's late, let me walk you home," he murmured.

She circled his neck with her arms and shook her head 'no,' before pulling him closer, kissing his t-shirt clad chest, up his neck, across his scruffy cheek, and finally pressed a teasingly soft kiss to his lips, playfully pulling at his full bottom one between her teeth.

Luke couldn't help but let out a growl of his own in response. With a saucy grin on her lips, she pressed her body impossibly closer. Finally with a resigned groan, he pulled away, placing a few inches of space between them.

Expectedly, she wore a pout, and he shot her a sly grin in response. Lorelai all but melted then, as he threaded a large hand through her own, his eyes silently begging for a little reprieve.

That grin was dangerous. And she couldn't say no this time.

He dropped her hand in favor of wrapping his arm around her waist, helping her steady herself as she put her heels back on. She used both of her arms to hug his side and lean on him as they walked back towards her house in comfortable silence.

"I want to take you out, on a real date," he said quietly into the night as they slowly made their way over the bridge and down the empty street.

"I'd like that. I'd like that very, very much," she confided to him.

With his arm slung comfortably around her waist, he spared a glance up at the night sky, something about the darkness making it easier to let the words flow, "I like you…very, very much Lorelai Gilmore."

With her face buried in his chest, she smiled against him, placing a quick kiss in the center, "Oh you have no idea, Luke Danes."

They approached the darkened house minutes later and Luke took her hand as they climbed the porch steps slowly, hovering outside the front door. With a serene smile spread across her face Lorelai whispered, "Is this a dream?"

Luke shook his head, "No," he whispered before he kissed her, smiling into it.

She matched his wide grin as they pulled just centimeters apart, "Definitely not a dream," she muttered against his lips, giving him one more quick kiss before pushing against his chest.

He opened the door for her and she shrugged out of his jacket, handing it back to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" He said, in that low gravelly voice that made her blush.

"Try and keep me away," she said with a sparkle in her eyes.

When the door clicked behind her, she leaned against it with a happy sigh and whispered to herself, "This is really happening."

Lorelai watched Christopher and Rory exchange goodbyes on the front porch the next morning. He gave her a slip of paper with his number in California and she watched her daughter study it for a moment before tucking it into the pocket of her overalls. With a few more flimsy promises of upcoming visits, weekly phone call updates, and a giant care package from his upcoming trip to Hawaii, he was off.

She walked over to her daughter, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, and they both waved back at him as he pulled out of the driveway. All morning long she had successfully avoided being alone with Chris for more than a few moments. Of course, in those mere minutes he had snuck in an apology for the night before and yet again begged her to reconsider. She had met him with a steely glare, and simply said to make sure he gave Rory his updated contact information before he left.

"You ok kid?"

"It's kinda weird."

"What is?"

Rory shrugged her shoulders, furrowing her brow in disbelief, "I'm not really sad."

"Oh, hon—"

"I should be sad, right? I mean, he's my dad. He left to go back home, or to California, or Hawaii. And most kids would be really sad. But…I'm not, not really."

"You don't have to be sad Rory. I know we don't have the most typical family dynamic in the world, but I do wish so badly he could be there for you more often."

"I don't," She said softly, using a sneaker-clad toe to kick a few pebbles down the porch steps.

Lorelai wrapped her little girl in her arms, "How come?"

"I like that it's you and me."

She kissed her daughter's silky locks and whispered into her ear, "I like that too."

"Dad's fun and everything, but, he doesn't really fit. And, he doesn't really want to be here does he?"

"Sweets, it's not so simple."

Rory shook her head and looked up to her mom with wide eyes, "But maybe someday, someone will?"

Rory was wise beyond her years, always had been. And while the realization of her mother and father not belonging together was a conversation Lorelai thought she'd have with her daughter a few years down the line, she felt a sense of calm that they'd had it now.

She just hoped Rory would take the new development of her and Luke just as well.

"How good does a giant stack pancakes sound right now?"

And just like that, the bubbly 10 year old's eyes shone and she twirled around to grab her mother's arm, yanking her across the front lawn, "You think Luke will make that special cinnamon butter?"

Lorelai giggled along with her, "Oh he better!"

"Hi Luke!" Rory announced as she pulled the door open to the diner and snagged a seat at a table by the window. She looked out towards the town square and smiled, Halloween was just days away, and the town had completely transformed for the festivities.

Lorelai spared a glance at Luke as she took a seat across from her daughter, hoping a blush didn't arise when he nodded at her in greeting, a smile tugging on the corners of his lips. It had only been a few hours since they'd seen each other and already Lorelai was itching for her next dose of him.

Luke wordlessly picked up the carafe of coffee and walked over to their table, filling her mug up to the brim without so much of a question. Lorelai looked up at him with a smirk, There were going to be so many perks that came with dating this beautiful man, she thought to herself as she greedily gulped it down.

"Morning Rory," he said, "You want your Sunday special?"

She nodded furiously, "Um, Luke?"

Luke took a deep breath himself when he noticed Rory's questioning look on her face, Did she already know about me and her mom? He thought to himself.

"Do you have any of that amazing cinnamon butter left? You know, for the pancakes?"

Breathing out a sigh of relief, he gave her a short nod, "You bet."

Rory let out a little squeal, "You're the best Luke."

He shrugged off the compliment but felt Lorelai's eyes on him which made him blush in the slightest way, "I've got some hot apple cider too if you want to try some?"

She nodded again and turned to her uncharacteristically quiet mother, "You ok mom?"

"Huh?"

Rory looked at her closely, "You haven't said a word since we got in here."

"Oh, um, yeah, I'll have the…uh…" She picked up a menu and flipped through it quickly, even though she had long since memorized it.

"You want your Sunday special too?" He asked her, his voice taking on a sexy gravelly quality that made her want to grab him and drag him back to a dark room somewhere.

"My Sund–"

"Jack omelet, 2 sausages, 2 pieces of bacon, a couple of pancakes on the side."

"Right, yes. S-s-sounds good."

He nodded and turned on his heel without another word, going back to his safe space behind the counter.

"What's wrong?"

She turned back towards her daughter and pushed a stray curl behind her ear, "What? I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

Lorelai's eyes widened and she frantically searched her tiny black purse for a compact, "What do you mean?" She pulled out a compact and scanned for any imperfections, but frowned when she saw her makeup was just as flawlessly applied as it had been an hour before. Her hair hung in loose curls down her shoulders, nary a strand out of place.

Rory giggled, "You're acting weird today."

"Well I'm not, I'm perfectly not-weird."

"Whatever you say," She said with a smile as Luke set down a mug of hot apple cider in front of her. He looked over at Lorelai and gestured with his head towards the back hallway.

"Gonna run to the bathroom for a sec though, you good here?"

Rory waved her off and cracked open a book she had brought with her. Lorelai all but lept from her seat and smoothed the emerald green silk button down top she wore tucked into a short black skirt. Her heeled ankle boots clicked against the linoleum floor as her sheer black stocking-clad legs quickly wove through the rest of the tables towards the back hallway.

As soon as she stepped into the hallway she felt an arm encircle her waist and pull her into the storage room. She immediately found herself in Luke's embrace and let out a shriek of laughter, burying her face into the warmth of his soft flannel-clad shoulder in an attempt to muzzle the sound.

He shushed her and placed his hands on her hips with a smirk, pulling her closer and giving her a lingering kiss. She sighed into the kiss and tilted her head, coaxing his lips apart with her tongue to deepen it. He maneuvered them closer into the room and pushed her up against the wall, grinding his hips into hers teasingly.

"Good morning," he whispered against her lips as they paused to take a breath. She blinked, a dazed expression on her face. He smirked, and then captured her lips once more, effectively swallowing her response. His hands roamed her body for a few moments before pulling away again, "Great morning."

She giggled as he pulled away, grasping the open collar of his flannel to tug him back towards her. Looking up at him through her lashes she grinned, "You can say that again, Mister."

He loosened his hold on her and his smile widened which caused her heart to swell. Then and there she made a promise to herself to do whatever it took to have that beautiful smile appear over and over again.

"I missed you," He mumbled as he leaned in to peck her cheek and then nibble a sensitive spot behind her ear, moving his lips to skim down the column of her neck and into the open collar of her blouse. He tasted the sweetness of her perfume and growled against her skin.

"Yeah?"

He lifted his head to give her a half smile, brushed a curl behind her ear and nodded shyly.

"I missed you too," She pecked his lips softly, "So, so, much" she said between pecks.

He sighed, "We have about thirty seconds until we have to head back out there you know."

She nodded and played with the curls at the nape of his neck. Briefly, she wondered why kissing Luke took no adjustment at all. Quickly, she became addicted to his soft lips and the flutter of butterflies that set off inside of her when he so much as grazed her with his touch. She became instantly flushed under his intense gaze. One more, she promised herself as she pecked his lips before pulling out of his embrace completely.

"Are you free Saturday night?"

"Yes," she said instantly, a bright smile lighting up her face.

Luke looked her up and down, letting his eyes rake her body. She had to glance down at her body to make sure she was in fact still wearing clothes.

"Pick you up at 7?"

She nodded, that bright smile only gaining wattage.

"It's a date."

A date.

She fought the urge to let out a squeal that would sound eerily like Rory's.

Rory. She needed to tell Rory before things went any further.

"Um, Luke?"

Luke looked at her questioningly and waited for her to continue. He held both her hands in his own and squeezed them lightly.

"I have to tell Rory," She said in a near panic voice.

"Hey," he said, pulling her against the solid wall of his chest, "Take all the time you need, ok? We don't have to rush into things, we can wait."

"I don't wanna wait," She whined as she nuzzled his neck, placing random kisses along his stubbly jawline, "There's been too much waiting."

Luke pulled back from her ministrations and brushed a curl out of her eye, gently curling it around her ear, "You think she'll have a problem with, y'know, um, us?"

Lorelai shook her head, "You know she adores you Luke."

He gave her a small smile.

"She's just never really seen mommy with anyone else. I mean I've always kept my dating life separate from my Stars Hollow life. Not like there's much time for dating when you're raising a 10 year old but you know what I—"

He cut her off with a kiss and pulled back with a smile, "Talk to her," he murmured.

She nodded and cupped his scruffy cheek with her hand, "I'll call you?"

"I'll be here."