From that day on, Lorelai visited Luke every day. Even if it was sometimes just for a cup of coffee, she felt the need to see him as often as she could. Sometimes she would even drive to Stars Hollow in her lunch break, get food, a coffee and a quick make out session in the storage room.

After five days only, Lorelai knew she was in love.

It was so different from everything she'd felt before, which meant to her that it was true.

And Luke seemed to feel the same – his face lit up the moment he saw her. He never wanted her to leave when she had to, and he called her every night, asking about her day.

She felt like a teenager, crazy with feelings for a man that wanted her, too. It was beautiful.

Until six days after the wedding she entered the diner and found Luke smiling less than usual.

"Hey," she said gently, hugging him. "What's up, Luke?"

"Liz and T.J. just called," he replied, visibly confused. "They got in an accident."

"Oh my God! Are they okay?"

"As far as I could understood, yes. The thing is though – they have like broken arms and legs and aren't fit enough to handle their stalls."

"Oh."

"Yeah. And since it's apparently renaissance season, they're in trouble. Could lose their spot and all."

"That really sucks."

"Yeah … listen, Lorelai." He got closer to her and gently placed a hand on her upper arm. "I offered to help them out."

"Oh – that's great, Luke. That's really nice of you."

"Yes, but that would mean we wouldn't see each other for at least a week."

"Only a week?" Lorelai smiled. "I think we can survive that."

"Yes, I agree." Luke smiled at her and then leaned in, kissing her cheek, not caring about the whole diner watching them. "I'm crazy about you, Lorelai," he whispered, close to her ear.

"Really? Do you wanna go upstairs?" She wiggled her brows, but Luke pulled back, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't want to do that and then leave for a week. Better wait until I'm back."

"Yeah, I agree," said Lorelai while already pulling him back into another hug. "I will miss you."

"It's going to be only a week." He sighed, "but I will miss you, too."

Since everybody was watching them already, their make out session had to be cancelled this time. But Lorelai gave him a peck on his lips before heading out with her coffee to go.

She was just about to get into her car, as she heard someone, screeching her name in excitement.

"Lorelai! Lorelai Hayden!"

Lorelai turned around, expecting to see either Babette or Miss Patty coming her way, but it was a woman she had never seen before, running towards her like a maniac.

She was short, curvy and had tawny hair. Lorelai eyed her in confusion, while the woman stood and tried to catch her breath.

"Lorelai," she breathed, "I'm so glad I caught you. Phew."

"Uh – do I know you?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh! No, you don't, sorry!"

"So how come you know me?"

"I saw you and figured, from all the things that Babette said about you – so I just called your name and you reacted!"

"Ah, Babette. Of course. So, you are …?"

"Sookie St. James. Sorry, but do you have a minute?"

"Actually –" She sighed before smiling. "You know what, I got a minute."

"Awesome. Do you like cake?"

"I do like cake, yes."

"I gotta show you Weston's, then! Cake's on me."

Five minutes later, Lorelai was sitting inside a lovely bakery, opposite a crazy but nice woman, a slice of cake in front of her.

"So, what's on your mind," she asked the shorter woman, who was looking a bit nervous to her.

"Well. So. Okay. Yes." Sookie breathed. Lorelai gave her time – she seemed to have run a mile. "See, I'm a chef. A pretty good one, some say. But I've been unemployed for a while, well, I've done some catering, but I want to work in a real kitchen. And I heard you have a hotel."

"Ah." Lorelai leaned back. "Our kitchen is fully staffed, I'm afraid."

"I thought so," sighed Sookie. "Of course you're fully staffed, you're the Royal Hotel. You know, the inn I worked at burned down last year?"

"It did? Oh dear."

"Yeah. It's fully destroyed, nothing you can do. No one died, so lucky us! But now we're constantly looking for jobs, Michel and I."

"Michel?"

"Oh, yeah. Former co-worker at the inn, well, he managed it. French guy, grumpy and all but sensitive soul. He's very dependent on me, so we're kinda looking together. I suppose you don't need anyone for the reception either?"

"I'm so sorry, no." Lorelai felt really sorry for the woman, who seemed lovely.

"Oh, okay. No, don't worry, it's not your fault. It's just, I have a kid and I can't go somewhere far away, like New York or Boston. Hartford is the farthest I can do."

"I get that. I have a kid, too."

"Yeah, Miss Patty said. Nineteen, right?"

"Yes," Lorelai replied, trying not to be bothered by the fact that she had been right, the whole town knew about her already.

"You know," Sookie said, eyes dreamy all of a sudden, "I've always wanted to open an inn on my own. I even have the perfect place, and it's here, in Stars Hollow."

"So why don't you do it?"

"Money, mostly. No – money, only. I'd have to overhaul the whole thing, it's basically in shambles, a total ruin. Also I don't have a business degree, so that's that."

"You could get one," Lorelai suggested. "At the night college I did mine. It's not too expensive and it's in Hartford."

Sookie's eyes widened. "You have a business degree?"

"Well, yeah, I kind of had to get one. I first worked as a maid and then night shift worker at the Royal, and after I realised that I wanted to buy the hotel, I started taking classes. Which meant I was at college from seven to ten at night, then had a shift from eleven to seven in the morning."

"Wow. That sounds truly exhausting."

"It was, but it was worth it. I got the degree and bought the hotel. Of course I could have bought it without the degree but that would've been stupid. So I did the degree, and it took me what – two years?"

"Hm. That doesn't sound too bad, actually. So the night classes are from seven to ten? Every day?"

"No, three days a week, for me it was Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. It's really manageable."

"Well, I'd have to talk to my husband … that he has to put Davey to bed three nights a week. And I'd have to look into the costs and all – do you think I could do it?"

"I don't know you, Sookie, but you had the courage to call a stranger's name from across the street, without even knowing whether or not it was her. So – weirdly, I believe in you." Lorelai laughed and Sookie joined.

Later that night Luke called her. He was on his way to Maine, just calling her from the car quickly.

"Do you know Sookie St. James?" Lorelai asked him after the usual small talk.

"Sookie? Sure, she's a friend of mine. Great cook."

"Better than you?"

"Well, I own a diner. She's a gourmet chef. You can't really compare the two of us."

"I see. So she's not a maniac?"

"I wouldn't say that." Luke chuckled. "She can be a bit crazy, but she's a lovely woman."

"Crazy in which way?"

"Mostly when it comes to her cooking. And the organisation of her kitchen."

"Like? Any examples?

"Sure, let me think – she sometimes just walks behind my counter to get garnishes for food she ordered. She once had a fit because someone in her kitchen placed strawberries on the wrong shelf and get that – it was one shelf below the one it was supposed to be. And I've left the best for last: She followed a food critic home and basically forced him to try her risotto again – because he had had the wrong wine with it."

"So she is a maniac," laughed Lorelai.

"Absolutely. And also, everyone loves her. She's great, Lorelai, but why are you asking?"

Thus, Lorelai told him about the way and the reason Sookie had approached her today.

And when she was done, Luke was silent for a while.

"Did she tell you the name of this inn she wants to renovate?"

"No, she didn't. But she did say it was completely ruined."

"That can only be the Dragonfly," Luke said slowly. "Rachel mentioned it a few times. She loved going there, taking pictures of it. I didn't like that, you know how old houses are often full of asbestos and rats and raccoons. But the bones of the inn do look quite lovely and she captured the essence of it quite nicely."

"I should check it out for Sookie's sake." Lorelai thought for a moment – "Do you happen to have her cell number?"

A moment later, she was dialling Sookie's number. And she didn't have to wait long –

"Hello? Sookie speaking?"

Her voice was hushed and Lorelai remembered that she was probably busy with putting her kid to bed right now.

"Hi, Sookie, it's Lorelai. Is it a bad time?"

"Oh, Lorelai!" Sookie's voice immediately went up a notch. "No, it's a great time! I haven't talked to my husband yet, but I will later."

"That's great. Listen, I have a question – is the property you were talking about called Dragonfly?"

"Yes, it is, it is indeed. How'd you know?"

"Luke."

"Oh, yes, of course. It's a beautiful inn, really. You would love it."

"Would you like to show it to me?" Lorelai asked. "I can give you some tips for your journey of owning a hotel and we can talk investors –"

Sookie suddenly screeched. "You want to invest?"

Lorelai smiled. "At first I want to have a look at the Dragonfly and we have to talk about your plan with it. When are you free tomorrow?"

"All day. Really, all day. When I don't cater, I help Jackson, my husband, on the farm. He grows and sells vegetables. I don't earn anything working there, since he's my husband – but that means I'm free all day, I just need to tell him!"

"Alright. Great, uh – how about one at Luke's? We could have lunch and then go there together?"

"That sounds great. Amazing. Wow. I'm hyped." Sookie sounded like she was hyperventilating.

"I can hear it," Lorelai laughed. "Will you be able to sleep tonight?"

"Probably not," Sookie answered with a giggle, "but it will be worth it! See you tomorrow, Lorelai!"

"Yeah, see you, Sookie."

As they hung up, Lorelai had to smile to herself.

She found she really, really liked the people in this town, no matter how crazy they were. Luke, of course, whom she was falling for. Now Sookie, whom she found charming and funny. Then Liz, Miss Patty, Babette, Lane and even Kirk. They all seemed great, and it made the town more and more likeable. Lovable, even.

She could only hope that her plans of moving there weren't too insane.