May 28 2005

Luke started to say something, then stopped himself. He took a breath, then turned toward the kitchen door and started walking to the front door. Lorelai watching him for a few seconds, then followed, detouring only long enough to get her purse.

The ride to the Dragonfly was in silence. Lorelai could sense the anger in Luke – the way he sat in the seat, the way he gripped the steering wheel, the way he recklessly took the corners, and the way ran through the Stop signs.

The trip to the inn took Luke half the time it normally took Lorelai. But she rode in silence, not wanting to further aggravate him.

When they arrived, Luke cut the engine but didn't get out right away. Lorelai waited patiently for him to make the first move, or to speak first.

He looked over at her.

"Are we getting out?" he asked.

"If we're going to eat, we're going to have to. No curb service here."

They both got out, and Luke slammed the truck's door a little harder than he had to. Lorelai almost made a sarcastic remark, but held her tongue. She started toward the front porch of the inn when Luke suddenly was in front of her, cutting her off.

Lorelai looked into his eyes, trying to figure out what was coming next.

Then he roughly put his arms around her, holding her a bit too tight, and she slipped her arms around him, her head resting against his chest.

For half a minute they stood there together.

Without releasing her, Luke said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. I don't know what came over me. I couldn't have made it this far if it weren't for you. You're the only one I have to turn to, and I . . . ."

He stopped, unable to control the emotion in his voice.

"I understand, Luke. Really, I do. When Rory broke her wrist and was in the hospital, I remember how scared and angry I was. And I know it's not the same thing, but I know you're hurting and you're feeling helpless, and that's not you. You were always the strong one, and I thank God for that because you've been there for Rory and me so many times. And I know I'm babbling, but you need to realize that you can't be the strong one all the time, and that's okay. And I also want you to know that I am so thankful that I'm the one you . . . ."

Luke pulled back from her then kissed her hard on the mouth, and she hungrily kissed him back. Their roller-coaster emotions were turning into pure lust.

They continued kissing, their passion growing with each moment.

Someone, from somewhere, yelled at them, "Get a room!"

They barely heard the remark, but it was enough to make Lorelai realize where they were.

"We've got rooms," she whispered breathlessly between the kisses. "Hundreds of 'em."

"Damned good thing," he whispered back.

Reluctantly they released each other.

Luke followed Lorelai into the inn as she went behind the desk, grabbed a key, and led him up the stairs.

`..................

Lorelai was lying on top of Luke, her head on his chest, their legs entwined.

Both were covered with sweat and their breathing still hadn't completely slowed to normal.

"Well," Lorelai said, still trying to catch her breath. "That was . . . something."

"It was . . . intense, wasn't it?"

"That's a bit of an understatement, but yeah, I'd say it was."

"Have I ever told you what an amazing woman you are, Lorelai Victoria Gilmore?"

"You may have mentioned it once or twice before, but don't let that stop you. Some things I never get tired of hearing."

Considering everything they had gone through the past eight hours, she was strangely happy and contented, for now.

"It's funny," Luke said after a while.

"What's funny?"

"It's hard to remember what my life was like before you came along. I mean, I can remember you not being around, but it's like a completely different life."

"So, I'm finally growing on you, huh?"

"Looks like it."

"Well, get used to it, Mister, because I'm not planning on going away any time soon."

"Not ever, if I have anything to do with it."

Lorelai smiled warmly and stretched up to kiss him. Which led to a second, and then a third, and then the dam burst again.

When Sookie came in that morning, Lorelai and Luke were in the kitchen. Lorelai was finishing off a large stack of pancakes and Luke was eating a bowl of oatmeal.

"Oh, Luke, I just heard about the diner. I'm so sorry! Was there much damage?"

"Don’t know yet."

"Why didn't you guys call me? I could have made you breakfast."

Lorelai winked at Luke.

"We couldn't wait," she said with a sly grin. "We just could NOT wait!"

Luke grinned back at her.

Sookie had a feeling they weren't just talking about breakfast.

Luke put the empty bowl into the sink.

"I think I'm going to head over to the diner."

"Me, too," Lorelai said to Sookie.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Sookie told her.

"Why not?"

"Well, Michel called me when he couldn't get you at home. Paw-Paw is sick and he needs to take him to the vet and won’t be in until later, so there won't be anyone to run the desk if you go."

Lorelai looked at Luke and started to apologize.

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "They probably won't let me go in anyway. But I just want to see what's going on."

"You'll call me?"

"Of course I will."

Luke gave Lorelai a quick kiss on the lips, but she put her arms around him, holding him tightly. She then caressed his cheek as they broke the embrace.

Their eyes locked for a few seconds, then he left.

"I love it when you guys do that," Sookie said. "It just looks so right."

"It feels so right," Lorelai answered. "I still can't believe it took us so long. Oh, don't let me forget -- the sheets in room six need changing."

Sookie didn't say anything but started preparing breakfast with a grin.

'………………

When Luke got to the diner, there was yellow tape around the area surrounding the diner keeping everyone away from it.

Taylor was arguing with the Fire Inspector. He wanted the power turned back on before all of his ice cream melted.

"I'll lose thousands of dollars of inventory! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Mr. Doose, I understand your concern, but I also have an obligation for the safety of the surrounding buildings. If I have the power turned back on, the damaged wiring would probably restart the fire and the entire block could go up. And I know you don't want THAT! Don't you have insurance?"

"Well, of course I do! But that's not the point. . . . "

"Sorry, Mr. Doose, but that's the way it is."

The Fire Inspector turned from Taylor to Luke.

"Hi, Luke. Sorry, but we haven't finished the inspection yet. It's still going to take a few more hours."

"So -- so far, what does it look like? Any good news at all?"

"On the surface, it's not as bad as we first thought, but until we can make a thorough inspection of the supporting structure, we won't know anything for sure."

"So what about the other things?"

"What other things?"

"The things on the walls, the stuff that belonged to my dad, the equipment, the tables, you know, other things."

"Well, it looks like the fire started in the kitchen, so almost everything in the actual diner doesn't seem to have been burned, except where the fire burned through the ceiling. Of course, there is a lot of smoke damage, and everything was thoroughly drenched."

"So the fire was in the kitchen? Do you think it was electrical or was it the gas stove?"

"My guess, it was electrical. This is an old building, and the wiring is just as old. And that's something I need to take up with Mr. Doose – the wiring in every building in Stars Hollow needs to be inspected."

"What about the upstairs? Anything about that?"

"Luke, I know you're concerned, and I certainly don't blame you, but you need to give us time. Just as soon as we know anything, you'll be the first one I'll call."

"Okay, then. Thanks. I'll be at the Dragonfly. Either there or at Lorelai's."

"I'll call you, I promise. Oh, and one other thing."

"What's that?"

"I'm glad you and Lorelai finally got together. But if I had been a betting man, I would have lost my ass on you two. I was beginning to think it'd never happen."

"Yeah, well, so did I. But thanks, and I'll be waiting for your call."

7

It was a little after five when the call came.

Lorelai and Luke were at Lorelai's eating supper.

Luke had spent part of the day at the inn doing a few minor repairs.

After lunch, he drove back to Lorelai's house where he changed the oil in her Jeep, then drove it to Gypsy's to have the transmission serviced and the brake fluid changed.

"That Lorelai!" Gypsy complained. "She has no concept of how to treat a car! Good for me, but bad for this poor Jeep."

Luke agreed wholeheartedly, then went back to Lorelai's to do a few odd jobs around the house. He then drove to the inn at five to pick her up. Sookie sent along a couple of salads, breaded pork chops, garlic potatoes and fried squash.

Lorelai looked on as Luke listened intently to the results of the fire inspection.

Earlier, after Luke had gone back to the Dragonfly, Lorelai was very happy to hear that Luke's dad's things hadn't been destroyed by the fire. She was hoping she could continue to be happy.

"So?" Lorelai asked when Luke hung up the phone. "How bad IS it?"

"Well, the good news is, it could have been worse."

"That's not saying much."

"As they suspected, the fire started in the kitchen. One of the wires in the wall leading in from the outside had been chewed through, either by a squirrel, or possibly by a mouse or a rat."

"You don't have mice, or rats!"

"Well, whatever it was, it caused the fire. The kitchen is completely gone, none of the appliances are serviceable. My apartment is pretty much history, including my clothes, the stove, the refrigerator and just about everything else up there. The floor burned under the safe, and it fell through into the diner, but it's okay. Most of the supporting joists in the center of the second floor are burned beyond use. But the upstairs ceiling, the walls and the roof are in pretty good shape except for the water damage."

"Which means . . . ?"

"Which means if I replace the floor joists and the floor, redo the ceilings and walls, and buy new kitchen equipment, I can have my apartment back and reopen the diner."

Lorelai jumped up and almost knocked Luke off his feet as she ran into his arms, trying to get him to dance around with her, and screaming with delight as she did.

After a few minutes of this, Luke suggested Lorelai call Rory with the good news. She then called Sookie, and then Babette, who she knew would spread the news to the rest of Stars Hollow via Miss Patty.

"Tomorrow morning, I guess I'll go down to see what I can salvage."

"I'll come with you. You're going to need some help."

"What about the inn?"

"Hey, Michel took this morning off, so I'm taking tomorrow off."

The next morning at seven-thirty Lorelai and Luke were standing in front of the burned-out diner, staring through the windows at the semi-dark interior. Not much detail could be seen. Everything had the same dark gray color.

Lorelai could tell that Luke was having trouble going inside. Not that she blamed him. It was going to be traumatic for him regardless of how little damage there might be to his dad's things. And the almost overwhelming stench of burned wood and wet ash didn't make it any easier.

Lorelai waited patiently. She knew he would go in when he was ready.

She heard him take a deep breath.

He looked at her for comfort, then took her hand for support and they went through the opening where the door used to be.

Inside, things looked even worse than from the outside. Most of the mugs that were in the rack behind the counter had fallen to the floor and were broken. The tables and chairs were charred or broken. The stools and counter weren't much better. Everything that had been on the walls was gone – knocked off by the force of the water from the fire hoses. Looking up, the water-damaged ceiling of the apartment could be seen through the burned-through floor.

Lorelai couldn't see anything that looked worth saving.

"My God," Luke said, so low Lorelai barely heard him.

She gently put one hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" she asked.

When he didn't answer, she rubbed his shoulder softly, letting him know she was there.

"Hey," she said. "We can do this later if you'd rather."

Luke shook his head.

"Now or later, it doesn't matter. We might as well get it done, and get it over with."

"I'll go get the boxes."

They had stopped at the Dragonfly and picked up a half dozen sturdy cardboard boxes on their way over.

When Lorelai came back in, Luke was behind the counter at the cash register. She heard it ring open.

"At least this still works," he told her. "They don’t make 'em like this anymore."

"No, they don't," she agreed with him.

"I assume the money is in the safe," Lorelai said, indicating with her head where it lay on its side near one of the front windows.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Anything down here you want me to pack up?"

"Doesn't look like there's anything worth saving. Maybe there's something upstairs."

"Is it safe to go up there?"

"As long as we stay away from the middle of the room, it should be. But maybe you should stay down here, just in case."

"I weigh less than you do, maybe I should be the one to go up and you stay down here."

"You wouldn't know what I'd want to keep, or what to look for."

"Then I guess we'll go up together."

Luke nodded then led the way to the stairs.

Even though the stairs went up over part of the kitchen, they seemed to be okay, at least from the top. Luke tested the upper steps, just to make sure they would hold, and was satisfied with them.

The glass in the door to the apartment was broken but the door was still intact.

The apartment wasn't much better. Everything was either water logged or charred. It was obvious the beds, the table and chairs, the refrigerator and stove, Luke's clothes, and those things he treasured the most were a total loss.

"Nothing up here," he said, the disappointment very much evident in his voice.

"Isn't there ANYTHING of your dad's you want to get?"

"No. It's gone. It's all gone." He was having a hard time keeping his voice from breaking.

As he started to push his way past Lorelai toward the door, she put her arms around him. He resisted for a moment, then returned her embrace.

"I’m so sorry," she whispered to him.

They stood together for a minute or two, then made their way back down the stairs.

"You want to look in the kitchen?" Lorelai asked.

"Not much use in doing that. I know there's nothing in there that's worth anything."

Luke walked over to the safe, struggled to turn it on it's back, worked the combination, opened it and emptied it of the cash and documents – the insurance policy and the deed to the building among the papers.

They left the diner in silence, never looking back.

"Oh, Goody! HE's back!"

Lorelai could hear the sarcasm in Michel's voice. She looked up from the desk to see Luke walking through the front door of the Dragonfly. He didn't look very happy.

"Hi!" Lorelai said brightly as Michel quickly left.

"He did it again!" Luke exclaimed angrily. "My own diner! And the throws me out like yesterday's trash!"

"Well, Luke, you did contract Tom to rebuild it. Maybe you should just let him do the job you're paying him to do, and paying him quite handsomely, I might add."

"But I was just making a few suggestions, that's all."

"Uh huh, just a few suggestions. How soon they forget."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You don't remember how it was when Tom was remodeling the soda shop for Taylor? He HATES suggestions."

"But Taylor's an ass. He doesn't know a hammer from a hammock!"

"And you do."

"Who's side are you on, anyway?"

"I'm on your side. I'm always on your side. I just think you should let Tom do what he's getting paid to do."

"So, I'm just supposed to stay completely away and let him do whatever he wants, however he wants to do it?"

"No, of course not. Go by there, see what's going on, ask your questions, then leave. You two went over those blueprints with a fine-toothed comb. He knows what you want done, let him do it."

"I just feel like I should be there, helping out."

"Well, you can't be working there and here at the same time."

"I guess you're right. And since Tom's being so stubborn about it then I guess I'll do what I can around here."

"Good. Oh, and by the way, I got a call from my insurance guy this morning. And according to him, you can't be doing work without being on the payroll."

"What? Why?"

"Because you need to be covered by Worker's Compensation. Because if you aren't, and you get hurt and sue us . . . Well, you see how ugly that could get."

"I'm not going to sue you!"

"Well, I know that, and you know that, but those guys in Washington who make the laws don't know that, and my insurance guy doesn't know that. So . . . ."

"Come on, Lorelai, this is ridiculous. You're going to listen to some suit, in some office, somewhere, who doesn't even know us?"

"Well, it seems to me that there was this certain owner of a certain cafe, who both shall remain nameless, once got all over me because I was behind the counter. And he was going on and on about the possibility of this phantom sack of flour falling on my head and his insurance not covering THAT."

Luke knew he was beaten.

"Okay. Fine. Put me on the payroll. What do I do?"

"It's easy, Just fill out this W-2 form and that's it."

Lorelai slid the form across the desk to Luke and handed him a pen.

"Do you know when the last time I filled out one of these was?"

"No."

"Never! That's when."

"Never?"

"Never. When I worked for my dad, I never had to fill one out. And when I opened the diner, I never filled one out."

"But what about Caesar? And Lane? Didn't they have to fill them out?"

"Well, yeah, I guess they did. Here. Happy now?"

"Of course. You always make me happy."

Lorelai took the form, looked it over, then filed it away.

"You know you're only getting minimum wage, don't you?"

"Whatever. Are we finished here?"

"Well . . . almost."

Luke was getting impatient.

"Now what?"

"There is one more teensy, weensy, almost invisible little thing."

"What is it?"

"Your time card."

"My WHAT! Lorelai! You're going to make me punch a time card?"

"According to my accountant, you have to."

"Your ACCOUNTANT! What the Hell as he got to do with anything?"

"Hey, don't get mad at ME! You're the one who told me to get one."

"Okay, I'm sorry. So why do I have to punch the damned card?"

"So we'll know if you work over thirty hours a week."

"And why do you have to know that?"

"Because if you go over thirty hours then you're no longer considered as part-time help, and we'll have to pay you for holidays and vacation time, and sign you up for a health plan. And he says we can't afford anymore full-time employees."

"You know, I'm really starting to dislike this accountant of yours. Besides, so what if I do? How much can it cost?"

"Luke, there's something you need to understand. Even though we're doing really good right now, we still have to watch every dollar we spend. You see, I don't have the money to write out thirty thousand dollar personal-loan checks without batting an eye. And I can't write a one hundred thousand dollar check to buy a building because I need to expand my apartment. The money just isn't there!"

"Okay. I get your point. I'll do the time card, and I'll only work thirty hours a week. But rather than giving me a weekly paycheck, why not just deduct it from what you owe me?"

"Well, we might be able to do that. But I'll have to talk to you-know-who to see if we can."

"Whatever. So, give me the card, I'll punch it and go to work."

"Good! So, here's your card, and the first thing that needs to be done is to clean out the stables. It looks like Cletus and Desdemona got into something that didn't agree with them and left evidence of it pretty much all over . . . everywhere."

"Oh, great! Just what I wanted to do after getting all this crap from you – getting crap from them!"

Lorelai smiled sweetly.

"Then it all works out just fine. And don't forget to wash your hands before you eat lunch."

Lorelai walked into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Hey, Sookie, how was your weekend?"

"Good. Jackson, Davie and I had a little picnic Saturday afternoon, and then just relaxed around the house yesterday. So, how was yours?"

"Actually, it was a little weird."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, Rory hasn't been spending that much time here since she and Logan got so chummy. She gets to the house about ten o'clock Friday night and leaves around three or four Sunday afternoon so she can spend some weekend time with him. But yesterday when she found out I finally, FINALLY, talked Luke into watching 'Titanic' she decided that she wanted to stay and watch the movie with us."

"How did you talk him into that?"

"I just kept telling him about the underwater robot at the beginning, and how cool it was when the iceberg hit the ship – totally made it seem not like a chick flick. "

"Well, that doesn't sound so weird."

"No, but that's not the weird part. Anyway, when the movie started we were on the couch – Luke, me and Rory. So, every once in a while I'd pause the movie and we'd go get something to drink or more snacks or use the bathroom. And by the time we got to the part where Jack was handcuffed down in the -- room, in the ship, Luke was sitting between me and Rory. And he and Rory were doing just what Rory and I always do – making fun of just about everything."

"Wow, that IS weird."

"Oh, but the weird part is yet to come. Anyway, I was sitting there watching and listening to them, and kind of feeling left out, and then suddenly I realized this is how a family is supposed to be – the dad and the mom and the kid sitting on the sofa and laughing and just enjoying being around each other. And it was really great!"

"That's not weird at all. It's wonderful!"

"I know, but I still haven’t gotten to the weird part. Okay, the movie is finally over, and Rory has to drive back to Yale in the morning, so she's ready to go to bed. So she gets up, says good night to me, kisses me on the cheek, says good night to Luke, and kisses HIM, just like that!"

"Oh, now that IS weird . . . Why is it weird?"

"Because I can count on one hand the number of men Rory has kissed – her grandfather, Christopher, Dean, Jess, and Logan. And that's all. She never kissed Max, she never kissed Jason, and up until that moment, she has never kissed Luke. They've hugged, but she's never kissed him."

"What did Luke say?"

"Nothing. I think he was more surprised about it than I was."

"Did he react at all?"

"Well, at first he was totally surprised, but then he got this look on his face like he was – I don't know, happy!"

"I still don't know why you think it was weird. He's been like a dad to Rory for years, maybe she just wanted to let him know it. And maybe she was letting him know that she totally approves of you guys being together."

"Yeah, well, maybe you're right. It just threw me, that's all. It IS a good thing, isn't it?"

"Sounds pretty damned good to me."

Lorelai smiled warmly as she was remembering the scene again.

"So, Luke's doing okay, huh?"

"Well, yes and no. There's not that much to do around here sometimes, so he's been working on his boat. But he still has a hard time filling his day. So there's something I wanted to run by you."

"What is it?"

"Well, I know Luke misses cooking, so I was thinking, what if he cooks breakfast here one or two days a week? That way you can sleep late and not have to come in until it's time to start lunch."

"Lorelai, I don't know. My breakfasts are the first thing about the inn the guests experience after a good night's sleep. And I know Luke is a pretty good diner chef, but this isn't a diner."

"But what about Tuesdays and Thursdays? It's the middle of the week and we never have more than half the rooms rented."

"Well, I don't know."

"Well, let's just try it tomorrow, and if it doesn't work out, then at least we'll know. Come on, what do you say? Just one day?"

"Fine. I'll go over the menu with him before I leave this evening."

"Great! It'll be great, you'll see."

Lorelai walked through the inn, looking for Michel. She found him in the kitchen talking to Sookie.

"Michel, where are all the bellmen? This is Friday and we're expecting a full house this weekend."

"They called in sick."

"What! All of them?"

"Yes, all of them, and they say they will be sick until your Luke does not give them any more grief."

"What are you talking about? Luke has nothing to do with them."

"Yes, I know, but perhaps you should tell him that. He yells at them and frightens them."

"Luke did that? Are you sure?"

"I am quite sure. And the only reason we still have the maids here is because they think he is showing off for them."

"LUKE?"

"Yes, Luke! And if you took the time, I'm am positive you would have noticed that the grounds are looking a bit ragged. He has also made the groundskeepers quit. He threatens them and says he will throw them into a wall."

"That can't be. I know he can be a little difficult sometimes, but he's not like that."

"He's telling the truth," Sookie added. "And that's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"What now?"

"It's the kitchen staff. They say if Luke comes into the kitchen again, they'll walk out and not come back until he leaves."

"But he was only here two days."

"Yes, and the food was surprisingly good, but he yelled at them."

"Sookie, YOU yell at them."

"I know, but I don't threaten to throw them out of the back door, or to let them kiss the hot griddle. Honey, you have to talk to him before we're the only ones left."

"Yes," Michel added. "Even the guests ask me about the strange man with the mean face who is always angry."

"Why is it I'm just now hearing about this? One of you should have said something before now!"

"But, it's Luke," Sookie explained. "We were trying to make allowances for his, you know, situation."

"I was not." Michel chimed in. "I thought you would see how bad it is getting around here. But no, you wear the blinders of love. Which is very sweet, and nauseating, and in the meantime, the inn goes straight to Hell!"

Lorelai was completely taken by surprise, but she knew something had to be done.

"Okay, I'll talk to him. Anyone know where he is?"

"He was going to the potting shed the last time I saw him." Michel told her. "He hates me, you know."

"He doesn't hate you, Michel, he's just been going through a bad time, that’s all."

Lorelai left the kitchen and headed toward the potting shed. Luke was inside, using a bench grinder to sharpen one of the shovels.

"Hey," she said. "How's it going?"

"Hey, yourself. It's going okay. What brings you out here?"

Lorelai hesitated, trying to find the right words.

"Umm, Luke, we need to talk."

"Sure. What's up?"

Lorelai hesitated again.

"Is everything all right?" Luke asked.

"Well, actually, it isn't. I understand you and some of the staff haven't been getting along too well."

"We've had our differences, but nothing serious."

"Well, that's not what I hear. Michel said some of them have either threatened to, or have actually quit because of you."

"Michel's a jerk!"

"Yes, he can be, sometimes. And he can be insufferable and stubborn and a real pain in the ass. But he's also an excellent concierge and he really cares about the inn, so when he tells me there are problems that are seriously affecting the way things are going, I have to believe him."

"So, what's your point?"

"My point is that Michel isn't the only one who's complaining. Sookie said the kitchen help is threatening to walk out if you come back."

"Okay, so my people skills are a bit lacking, but they'll get over it."

"Luke, that's not the point. It can't be like this. I need EVERYONE to keep this place running -- the bellmen, the grounds people, the kitchen people, everyone. But you're making it, well, impossible for that to happen."

"So, what are you saying?"

Lorelai took a deep breath.

"I'm saying that you can't work here anymore, I have to lay you off."

"NO! It doesn't work like that. You lay people off when the work runs out. And from what I can see, there's plenty of work around here. So if I'm being sacked, just come out and say it!"

"Luke, I don't want this to get ugly, I'm just trying to explain the situation here; my situation."

"Oh, yeah, your situation. You're my employer, so if you're firing me, then just tell me!"

Lorelai took a short, quick breath in frustration.

"Come on, Lorelai, you're the boss. Say it!"

"Okay, fine, here it is – you're fired! Is that what you wanted to hear? Are you happy now?"

"You bet I am! See ya around!"

Luke stormed past Lorelai and out of the shed. Seconds later she heard his truck starting up and the sound of spinning tires as he sped down the driveway away from the Dragonfly.

Lorelai watched the truck from the door of the potting shed until it made the curve and disappeared. She then slowly walked back to the inn, going through the back door into the kitchen.

Sookie looked up momentarily as she was folding vanilla into a bowl of egg whites with a large spatula.

"Did you talk to him?" she asked, as she silently counted the strokes.

"I talked to him."

"Well? Did you guys get things straightened out?"

"I guess we did."

"So does he understand that even though things aren't going so good for him right now he can't keep threatening everyone?"

"I -- we didn't get that far."

"So how far did you get?"

"I let him go. Luke's not working here anymore."

Sookie set the bowl down on the counter, the egg whites forgotten about.

"You fired him?"

"I didn't have a choice."

"But how could you fire him? That's not being a very good girlfriend."

"Sookie, this has nothing to do with being his girlfriend. It's got to do with keeping this inn running smoothly, and to keep it from going under. It's business, plain and simple."

"But it's LUKE!"

"Did I hear someone say Luke was fired?" Michel asked as he entered the kitchen.

"Yes, Michel." Lorelai answered him. "I fired Luke."

"You never should have let him work here in the first place. I never understood why you did such a thing."

"I don't want to hear it, Michel."

"You never asked us if we thought it was a good idea, you just . . . ."

"I said I didn't want to hear it!" Lorelai was getting angry. "I suggest you get on the phone and get our bellmen back here as soon as possible, unless you'd rather be carrying luggage up and down those stairs all weekend."

Michel immediately left the kitchen for the desk to start making phone calls.

"I still can't believe you fired Luke," Sookie said.

Lorelai walked out of the kitchen without answering her.

'………………..

Lorelai left the Dragonfly at four that evening. She hoped that Luke would have cooled down by the time she got home and she could talk to him and make him understand why she had to do what she did. But when she pulled into her driveway, her breath caught in her chest – the doors to her garage were wide open and the boat was gone.

"Oh, God! Not again!" She said out loud.

She immediately backed out of her driveway and drove straight to the diner.

She slowly drove past, looking at all the work that was finished, and impressed at how quickly Tom and his crew had gotten things done. But the boat was nowhere to be seen.

"Lorelai!"

She stopped her Jeep and Tom came up to her.

"Hey, Tom. Your guys are really doing a good job."

"Yeah, thanks. Everyone wants the diner up and running as soon as possible. Look, I need to talk to Luke about something."

"I'm not sure where he is right now."

"You guys have a fight?"

"No. Why would you ask that?"

"Well, what with him going fishing and you not knowing it, I just figured . . ."

"He's gone fishing?"

"Yeah. One of my guys saw him in Doose's. He was buying cans of pork and beans and canned meat and bread and water and stuff. And he had his boat with him. You didn't know?"

"We don't always tell each other everything."

"Then you're lucky. I can't go to the toilet without my wife wanting to know where I'm going."

"You said you needed to talk to Luke?"

"Oh yeah. Back when we were first going over the plans, we were trying to decide whether or not to put in a separate exhaust for the new dishwasher. It puts out a lot of steam, you know. Well, I need to know what he's decided. If he doesn't want it, then I can get my guys to go on and close up the ceiling. But if he wants one, I need to get the special stainless steel pipe ordered, and the . . . . You're not writing this down? Maybe you should write it down."

"Don't need to," Lorelai said, and pointed at her head. "Steel trap."

"Okay. Anyway, it'll take a week to get the pipe here and installed, and I'll need to get the electricians to run the wiring, and the hole through the wall will need to be cut so we can mount the fan on the outside. And the sooner I know something, the sooner we can get that ceiling finished."

"Okay, I'll call him just as soon as I get home."

As soon as she pulled into her driveway, Lorelai called Luke's cell phone. But all she got was his voice mail.

"Luke, would you call me just as soon as you hear this? I really, really need to talk to you. Also, Tom wants you to call him. It's something about some special pipe and wiring and the dishwasher. I have no idea what he was talking about, but you need to call him."

Lorelai killed the connection, but just sat there, staring at the empty garage, and feeling just as empty.

Lorelai slowly got out of the Jeep, went to the garage, closed the doors, then walked to the house. She unlocked the front door and went in, but only as far as the foyer. The house felt just as empty as the garage.

After standing there for a while, listening to the silence, she checked her messages; there were none. She picked up the phone and dialed Luke's number, but hung up when his voice mail cut in.

'........................

She was sitting on the couch slowly flipping through the channels when Rory found her. It was well after ten p.m. Dinner with her grandparents had taken longer than usual. Emily insisted Rory tell her everything about the two midterm essays she was writing, with detailed explanations of every word, expression and phrase she said she didn't understand.

Rory sat next to Lorelai and kissed her on the cheek.

"I couldn't help but notice that Luke's truck isn't here. You don't have him working this late at the inn, do you?"

"No. He's gone fishing."

"Will he back by Sunday? 'Cause I really hoped the three of us could have another movie night together."

"I don't think he'll be back by then."

"Well, where did he go?"

"I don't know."

"So, when's he coming back?"

"I don't know."

"Did you guys have a fight?"

"I don't know. I guess."

"What happened?"

"Do we have to talk about this right now?"

"We don't HAVE to, but I'd kind of like to know what's going on."

"He went fishing because he doesn't work at the inn anymore. I had to let him go."

"Let him go? You mean you fired him?"

"Yes, Rory, I fired Luke! He wasn't getting along with the staff. They were all quitting or threatening to quit because of him. And while I can run the inn without Luke, I can't run it without the bellmen, or the kitchen staff, or anybody else he intimidated!"

It was obvious that Lorelai was having a hard time with her decision, so Rory didn't pursue the matter.

"Have you eaten anything?"

"I'm not hungry."

Rory sat closer to her mother, put an arm through hers, and laid her head against her shoulder. Lorelai leaned her head down on Rory's, and they sat together watching the TV screen.

'……………….

"It's almost midnight." Rory said. "And I'm pretty tired. I think I'm going to go to bed."

"Okay. I'll see you in the morning. Sleep tight."

"What about you?"

"I'll go upstairs in a little while."

"Do you want me to sit up with you?"

"No. You go on to bed. I won't be long."

Lorelai sat on the sofa another hour, occasionally glancing at the stairs.

Finally, she forced herself to get up and climb the stairs to the second floor. But she stopped just as she got inside her bedroom.

For more than nine years this had been her bedroom, and her bed -- hers alone. And then eight months ago, Luke was suddenly there, sleeping with her on occasion. But more often than not, she was sharing his bed in his apartment.

But after the fire, his apartment, his bed, was no longer an option, so for the past four weeks there he was. At first it was strange having him there every night, and at times Lorelai felt as if her personal space was being, not so much invaded, but filled up.

But without realizing exactly when it happened, she suddenly realized that she wanted him there. She liked his warmth next to her as he slept. She welcomed the feeling of being safe and protected. And she didn't mind it when his snoring would wake her up from a sound sleep and a really great dream.

But now the soft, comforting bed that she loved, first as 'hers,' and then as 'theirs,' was no longer warm and inviting. It was cold and unwelcoming.

Lorelai backed out of the room and went downstairs.

When Rory got up the next morning, Lorelai was asleep on the couch.

14

By ten o'clock Rory decided that her mother needed to do something rather than mope around the house. She insisted they go shopping, and it didn't matter whether it was in Stars Hollow or Woodbridge or Hartford, but she was NOT going to spend another minute sitting on the sofa.

"How about if we cruise by the diner?" Rory suggested. "I'd like to see how it's coming along."

"Sure. Why not?" Lorelai wasn't very enthusiastic about it.

They had intended to just look in through the new windows, but Tom wanted Lorelai to see for herself how much had been done. All of the kitchen equipment was in place. As were the new counter and stools, and the new shelving behind the counter. The water and electricity were on, and the gas line had been hooked up. The tables and chairs would be delivered Tuesday, and the new stove and refrigerator for the apartment were coming Thursday.

"Did you ever hear from Luke?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, he called me first thing this morning. He sounded strange."

"How so?"

"Can't really put my finger on it. He said whatever I wanted was fine with him. That didn't sound like Luke. So, I suggested we go ahead with the exhaust system. He said fine and hung up. Very odd."

"Well, maybe he figures you're here and you know what you're doing, you know?"

"Can we go upstairs?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, but watch your step, we still have to install the hand railing."

The apartment had no furniture or appliances, but other than that it was finished. The new floor had been sanded and varnished. The new drywall on the ceiling and walls had been freshly painted and the new windows were wide open to allow the paint fumes to escape.

"Wow," Rory said. "Luke can move in just as soon as he gets back."

"Yes," Lorelai answered sadly. "And I'm sure he can't wait."

"Oh, Mom, I didn't mean it like that!"

"I know. He probably would have anyway. We both knew it was only temporary."

Rory could see the pain in Lorelai's face and wanted to get her away from there.

"Come on. We've got a LOT of shopping to do."

Lorelai followed Rory downstairs.

"Thanks for the tour," Rory said to Tom as they passed him on their way out. "You guys are really amazing. Great job."

"Yeah, thanks. When you talk to him, tell Luke we should be done by next weekend."

"We'll do that. Thanks."

'............................

Their shopping spree wasn't the success Rory had hoped it would be. No matter where they went, and no matter what they bought, she couldn't get her mother out of the cheerless mood she was in.

By six, they were back home and Lorelai was once again sitting in front of the TV.

Rory let her stay there while she did her laundry and some light cleaning. By eleven she was ready to go to bed.

"How much longer are you going to be up?" Rory asked.

"I don't know. You go on to bed. I'll be fine."

"I think you need to go to bed, too. You look exhausted."

Lorelai was too tired for a comeback, so she just smiled at Rory and repeated that she was okay.

"You are NOT going to sleep on this couch again tonight!"

"Rory . . . ."

"No! You can either go upstairs and go to bed, or you can stay down here sleep with me. One or the other. Make up your mind."

Lorelai took a deep, tired breath, then turned her attention back to the TV.

Rory reached down and took the remote from her hand and turned it off.

"I won't be ignored!"

"Okay! I'll go upstairs!"

Rory stood waiting until Lorelai got up, made a face at her, then climbed the stairs.

"I'm coming out here in a little while. You better not be on that couch!"

"I won't," Lorelai answered as she closed her bedroom door.

Rory had barely gotten comfortable when she heard her bedroom door open. Then she felt the bed moving as Lorelai got into bed with her.

And as Lorelai pull the covers over her, Rory snuggled up against her.

"Everything will work out," she whispered to her mother.

Lorelai didn't answer, but kissed Rory softly on the side of her head.

Sunday evening Rory drove back to Yale because of an early class on Monday.

That night Lorelai forced herself to sleep in her own bed. But it was a restless, uneasy sleep. Several times she woke up feeling anxious, until she remembered why Luke wasn't there beside her. Then she tossed and turned, trying to fall back asleep.

Her lack of sleep was causing problems at the Dragonfly. She was short-tempered with everyone and left as early every day as she could.

It was three-thirty Thursday afternoon, and she was again sitting in front of the television when the phone rang. She almost didn't answer it, but might be Rory.

"Hello."

"Lorelai, it's me, Luke."

"Luke! Hi! Where are you?"

"New York."

"City?"

"No, upstate New York, near Saranac Lake. I've been fishing."

"Yeah, I know. Tom told me. So, umm, what's up? Caught any fish?"

"A few. Catching them and letting them go."

"When are you coming – home?"

"I should be there Saturday afternoon sometime."

"So – you've just been fishing?"

"Yeah, that. And thinking."

"About what?"

"Things. Things I've accomplished. Things I haven't. What I want. What I don't want. What I want to do, or not do. Just things."

"You know, the diner's almost finished. Tom said it should be done by the weekend."

"Yeah, well, that's one of the things I've been thinking about."

"Oh?"

"I'm not sure if I want to reopen it."

"What! Why not?"

"I’m not sure if that's what I want to spend the rest of my life doing."

"But Luke, the diner is all but finished. You can open it up almost as soon as you get back."

"I'm thinking about selling it. I'm sure Taylor would buy it without a second thought."

"But if you sell it, what will you do? Where will you go? Where will you live? I mean, you know you're more than welcome to live . . . to stay . . . with me . . . us -- Rory and me."

"I – might not stay in Stars Hollow. I was thinking about moving somewhere else, some other city."

"But Stars Hollow is your home! Everything, everyone you know and love, and who love you, are right here! Why would you want to move away and give all that up?"

"Lorelai, I'm almost forty years old, and from what I can see, there's not a whole lot that I've done with my life. Maybe by starting over, starting fresh, I can – make a difference somehow; do something meaningful before I die."

"But you have so much here. The diner came from your dad . . . ."

"The OLD diner, yeah. This new one – no."

"But . . . ."

"Don’t you understand? I have exactly three things left that were my dad's – the safe, the cash register, and this boat. That's IT – three little things! Everything else? Gone like they never existed!"

Lorelai hesitated, not wanting to ask the most obvious question, but she knew she had to.

"So, what about – us? You and me? Does this mean we're – we're finished?"

"I told you, right now I'm just thinking, trying to figure things out. Nothing's written in stone. Nothing's been decided."

"Luke, will you promise me something?"

"If I can."

"Will you promise me that you won't make any final decisions until we can sit down and talk about things?"

"I don't know, maybe. But whatever I decide, or don't decide, I'll be back Saturday. I'll see you then."

"Luke!"

"What?"

"I . . . ."

The words Lorelai wanted so desperately to say stuck in her throat and would not come out.

"You what?"

"I . . . I'll see you Saturday. Drive safe."

"Okay. Yeah. See you then."

Lorelai put down the phone and went back to the sofa, back to staring at the TV screen, never feeling the tears that were running down her cheeks and dripping onto her hands clutched tightly together in her lap.

16

The next morning Lorelai called Michel to say she didn't feel well and wouldn't be in. Later Sookie called her back to see if she was okay. And Lorelai, not wanting to have to go over everything Luke told her, fibbed and assured her it wasn't serious.

Rory got home a little after eight that evening. Emily hadn't felt well and the dinner was abbreviated, omitting dessert altogether.

It was all that Rory could do to get her mother to tell her why she was feeling so much worse than the weekend before.

"But he said he was just thinking about it, didn't he? That doesn't mean he's really going to do it."

"Well, with Luke you never know."

"Then we'll just have to talk him out of it."

"But do we really want to? I mean, if he really wants to sell the diner and move away, should we even bother?"

"Hell, yes, we should! This is where Luke belongs – in Stars Hollow, and with us! How can you even think about not making him stay? I'LL talk to him if I have to!"

"No. We can't do that. This has to be his decision. He's a grown man, and who are we to be telling him what he can or can't do?"

"We're Gilmore girls, that's who!"

For the first time in over a week, Lorelai smiled, then began crying.

Lorelai put her arms around Rory, holding her tight, not trying to stop her tears from falling.

'……………………

"Did he say what time he'd be home?"

Rory and Lorelai were sitting at the kitchen table, sharing a large carton of cookie dough ice cream. It was still Friday night, about half past ten.

"No, just sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"Did he say he was coming straight here or to the diner?"

"He didn't say. Could be either one."

"We could call him and find out."

"No. We'll see him when we do."

"It's been a long day, so I think I'll turn in. Are you back in your bed, or do you want to sleep with me tonight?"

"I think I'm a big girl now. I'll sleep in my own bed."

"Okay. See you in the morning."

" 'Night, Hon. Have a good sleep."

Rory got halfway to her room then turned around.

"Hey, Mom."

"I know – 'It'll be okay.' "

"It will, you know."

Lorelai smiled lovingly at her daughter.

But her smile faded as Rory closed her bedroom door. She had a horrible feeling that things would not be okay.

Lorelai finally got into bed a little before midnight, but it was nearly three before she fell asleep.

She slept until almost eight o'clock, and woke up to the sound and smell of brewing coffee.

But before she went downstairs, Lorelai took a long, hot shower.

"Good morning," Lorelai said, trying to sound cheerful. "Been up long?

"A couple of hours. Did some reading, got some laundry done, made a phone call or two. So how did you sleep?"

"Not bad, once I got to sleep. And you?'

"Like a baby."

They continued to make small talk for the next hour. Then Lorelai decided to go to the inn to see how things went without her there the day before. And Rory wanted to spend some time with Lane.

"See you back here about four?" Rory asked. "I'll bring Chinese."

"Sounds good to me. Tell Lane I said hi."

"Will do. Have a good day."

"You, too."