Lorelai was excited but nervous to return to Stars Hollow.

Once she saw the decorations, though, all the nervousness washed away. The town looked gorgeous.

She parked in front of Luke's diner, where he had told her to leave her car. And as she got out of her BMW, he immediately stepped out of the diner, too. Eyed her for a moment, in a mixture of shock and admiration. Then he smiled.

"You look beautiful."

"Aw. Flattery will get you anywhere, my friend." She winked, and he laughed awkwardly.

"Well, then – you look absolutely stunning."

"Now, now, don't overdo it. Shall we leave?"

"Absolutely." He offered his arm and she linked hers with his.

They walked over to the town centre, where chairs were prepared in front of a lovely gazebo, in which the ceremony would take place, by the looks of it.

"This town is really something else," Lorelai mumbled.

"You don't even know how true those words are." Luke huffed. "You like it?"

"I strangely do." She looked around, realising that all eyes were on her. "Though everyone's staring at us."

"I think they're staring at you and honestly, who can blame them?"

Lorelai beamed at him.

"I like your wreath, by the way," he continued, and Lorelai smiled even wider.

"Wanna try it on?"

"What? No, thanks. I don't think that would look half as nice as you."

"Ah, so you think a nice, manly wreath in your hair wouldn't work?"

He huffed. "There's no such thing as a manly wreath."

"Well, Julius Caesar pulled it off, and he was very popular with the ladies."

Luke was just about to answer, as a man approached them.

"What's this? Surely these be time travellers from the future in such foreign, mystical garb."

Lorelai shrieked excitedly. "And who be you, kind sir?" she replied, before whispering to Luke, "I am loving this!"

The man introduced himself as T.J.'s brother. T.J. was Liz' fiancé, she soon found out, and his brother was there to seat guests.

He brought Luke and Lorelai to two seats quite in the front, and while Luke muttered about how much he hated all this, Lorelai was enjoying it a bit too much.

But just as they sat down, a raspy voice behind them said, "Hi, Lucas," and Luke groaned.

"Oh. Hi Carrie."

Lorelai heard the disappointment and light fear in his voice, so she turned around.

"Is that a power suit?" Carrie went on, looking up and down Luke. Lorelai leaned in, brows raised.

"It's my only suit," Luke retorted nervously.

"Hi, I'm Lorelai," Lorelai chipped in, "Luke's date."

"Ahh-ha," made Carrie and Lorelai was sure that no one had ever sounded so disinterested when being introduced to her. "Barry stayed home. Save a dance for me?" She winked at Luke, and Lorelai rolled her eyes.

Luckily, Luke was just as interested in dancing with her as Carrie was in getting to know Lorelai.

"I don't dance," he said, and Carrie laughed.

"You will dance."

"Goodbye, Carrie," Lorelai said cheerfully, which made Carrie give her a dirty look. But she turned around and left.

"Jeez, who was that?" she exhaled as soon as the woman was out of earshot.

"Crazy Carrie. Uhm, that's what my sister calls her, not me."

Lorelai elbowed him. "She has the hots for you."

"I know. She also tells people that we made out under the bleachers. And sometimes she tells them that we did it under the bleachers, which is even worse. Neither of it is true."

"No?" She smiled.

"No way. All through high school, I was with someone anyway. And that lasted."

"Oh. But it wasn't Nicole, right?"

"No, her name was Rachel." He sighed. "She's been gone for a long time."

"Luke," Lorelai whispered, placing her hand on his arm. "Another loved one that died?"

"Oh, no, Rachel isn't dead. She's just been travelling the world for years. She comes back here every once in a blue moon to visit me and her family, last time was about three years ago."

"She hasn't been here in three years? Wow."

"Yeah, believe it or not, but she's not a fan of Stars Hollow."

"I can't imagine." Lorelai looked around. "It's lovely. I think Rory would adore it."

"Bring her here," Luke offered. "I'd love to meet her, too."

"Patience," Lorelai whispered. "One day I'm sure I'll have a reason to introduce the two of you."

Luke smiled at her, but the happiness was of short notice, as all of a sudden Carrie approached them again. Lorelai cleared her throat.

"May we help you?"

"Just spreading the message that Liz managed to rip her dress, so there's gonna be a little delay," Carrie said in a cool voice, before walking off again.

"I could kiss you for keeping her away from me," Luke mumbled, and Lorelai chuckled.

"Later, perhaps. Anyway, I should probably go and help."

"Whom, Liz? With the dress?"

"Yeah – do you think I shouldn't?"

"No, you don't have to help just because you're a woman and feel obligated."

Lorelai let out a laugh. "Oh, dear. No, that's not the reason – I want to help because I'm an amazing seamstress. The dress I'm wearing? Made it myself."

He looked down her pink dress, mouth open. "Really?"

"Really. I'll be right back." She jumped up. "Do you know where they are?"

"At Miss Patty's," Luke replied and Lorelai clapped her hands.

"Perfect, I know where that is! See you in a second!" And off she went.

She entered the dance studio and found Miss Patty walking around a blonde woman in distress. Upon her entry, they both turned around.

"Lorelai!" Miss Patty called, "what a surprise! I didn't know you were here!"

"And I didn't think you'd still remember me."

"A face like yours? Please. Wait – are you Luke's date? He's told me he's bringing someone but wouldn't say whom."

"Well, it's me." Lorelai smiled proudly.

"Wait … you are that Lorelai?" Liz suddenly stared at her with her mouth agape, just as Luke had stared at her not two minutes ago. "I'm Liz. And I'm gonna beat up my brother for never mentioning how beautiful you are."

Lorelai laughed awkwardly. "Hey, I'm here to help. I'm a seamstress, well, a self-proclaimed one anyway."

"That's amazing!" Liz sounded relieved. "I ripped it getting up, I'm such a klutz!"

Lorelai leaned down, beginning to check out the damage.

"It's not too bad. Patty, do you have a sewing kit?"

Patty turned to get it for her, and Lorelai started to fix the dress immediately.

"So," Liz started, "you're the mysterious stranger that helped my big brother with all that wife drama he had going on?"

Lorelai chuckled. "I guess."

"And now you two are dating?"

"Oh, no, we are not. I'm married, see?" She held up her hand, showing them her wedding ring.

"You're married?" both Liz and Patty called out.

"Uh – yeah. Since a very long time actually."

"Luke never said that."

"Well, huh."

"Does he know?" Liz went on.

"That I'm married? Yes, he does."

"And he still asked you out?"

"It's just a date between two friends," Lorelai tried to explain.

"But he is interested in you!"

"Liz," Patty said quietly.

Lorelai felt her cheeks burn. "Oh?" she made, concentrating hard on the ripped dress. "Has he told you that?"

"I can see it!"

"Everybody can," Patty chimed in, "but it's none of our business."

"Well, if Miss Patty tells me it's none of our business" Liz giggled, and Lorelai could only imagine it was because Miss Patty was, according to Luke, Stars Hollow's biggest chatterbox. It was only a matter of time until everyone knew she was married.

"Everything okay down there?" Liz called upon her silence.

"Yup, almost done."

Just as she said that, there was a knock.

"Are you ready, the crowd's getting restless," said a nonchalant voice at the door.

Lorelai turned her head, spotting a young man in about Rory's age.

"You're getting restless!" Liz retorted.

Luke's nephew, probably, Lorelai thought. And really –

"That's my son, Jess," Liz told Lorelai, "Jess, this is your uncle's friend-date."

"Huh," he made, sounding just as impressed as Carrie had sounded before. Liz didn't seem to understand why her son was so casual about it, though.

"You know, the mystery woman! The woman at the bar that talked to him about Nicole. That's her!"

"That's amazing, mom. Are you almost done?"

"She is all done," Lorelai answered for Liz' sake, and Liz exhaled.

"It's perfect! You're a wizard, Lorelai!"

"Funny, I've only been called a witch before," she joked, but Liz only eyes her with a bewildered look. "Never mind," she added. Wrong audience for her jokes.

"I'm gonna go tell the others," Jess muttered before taking off.

"Thanks, hon!" Liz called after him.

"Wow – Luke said he was too cool for school. I get it now." Lorelai laughed. "My daughter would love him."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes. She's nineteen, and before you ask – I'm thirty-five and yes, I had her with sixteen."

Liz gasped. "Teen moms!"

"Yaaay, teen moms," Lorelai replied and accepted Liz' offer to fist bump. "Not that it's a good thing."

"Oh, no, no. Of course not. What's your daughter's name?"

"Rory."

"Bring her to Stars Hollow!"

"Is she a dancer?" Patty joined the conversation and Lorelai snorted with laughter.

"Believe me, she's even worse than I am."