Disclaimer- I don't own anything. I can dream though.

Lorelai walks in to the diner and grabs a coffee cup. She walks up to the counter.

"Please Lukey. Please." Lorelai begs.

"No and how many times have I told you not to call me that?" Luke asks.

"Well there was this one time when you told me not to when we were-" Lorelai starts.

"Lorelai, don't." Luke said his face 10 shades of red.

"Fine, just please give me my coffee Luke!" Lorelai said.

"How many cups have you had today?" Luke asked.

"None." Lorelai lies.

"Plus?" Luke asked.

"Five but yours is better and you didn't make any for me this morning." Lorelai grumbles.

"Well, sorry for trying to get my girlfriend to eat healthier." Luke said.

"Yah, well you should be." Lorelai said and took the coffee Luke handed her. Lorelai gave Luke a quick kiss and then sat down at a table.

A 20 something man walked in to the diner and spotted Lorelai.

He walked up to her. "You make that look really good." He said.

"Oh it is. Luke makes the best coffee in town." She said.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" He asked.

"Well, my boyfriend might." She said and looked at Luke who was now watching them intensely.

"Yah, but he's not here." The guy said.

"Uh, actually he is and he's walking over here right now." Lorelai said and let out a small laugh.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked calmly.

"Uh, just, uh talking to this pretty lady." The guy stuttered.

"What's your name?" Luke asked.

"J-Joey." He said.

"Well, Joey, I would appreciate it if you would not hit on her. I can't kick you out, but I can ask you to leave her alone." Luke said.

Lorelai laughed again.

"Fine. I'll leave her alone." Joey said and walked up to the counter again.

"Ah, my hero!" Lorelai exclaimed.

Luke blushed. "Thanks." He said and gave her a quick kiss and returned to behind the counter.

Rory walks in to the diner and sat down at the table with Lorelai.

"Hey, it's freezing." Rory states.

"Oh, what do you need? Hot tea? Coffee?" Lorelai asked.

"Lip gloss." Rory says.

"Aha." Lorelai said and pulls out a bag full of lip gloss.

"I have vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and toasted marshmallow." Lorelai said and smiled.

"Anything in there not resembling a breakfast cereal?" Rory asked.

"Yes." Lorelai said and pulled out another bag of lip gloss. "It has no smell but changes color with your mood."

"God, RuPaul doesn't need this much makeup." Rory complained.

"Wow, you're crabby." Lorelai said.

"I'm sorry. I lost my Macy Gray CD and I need caffeine." Rory told her.

"Ooh, I have your CD." Lorelai said and gave Rory her C.D.

"Thief." Rory said.

"Sorry, and I will get you some coffee." Lorelai said.

"Yah, Luke didn't leave any this morning." Rory said.

"I know. He said he's trying to keep us healthy." Lorelai said.

"He needs to sleep over more so he can make us coffee every morning." Rory said.

"I'd be fine with that." Lorelai said and smiled devishly.

"Mom!" Rory whined.

"Sorry, I'll get you your coffee." Lorelai said and grabbed Rory's mug.

"Luke, Rory needs coffee." Lorelai said.

"Why must you corrupt your daughter too?" Luke asked.

"She was mad you didn't leave us any this morning too." Lorelai said.

"Jeez, sorry. Next time I stay over I'll be sure to make coffee." Luke said.

"Good boy." Lorelai said and turned around to see Joey talking to Rory.

"Luke, now he's talking to Rory too!" Lorelai complained.

"Jeez." Luke said and walked up to the guy.

"Leave her alone." Luke told him.

"Oh, I was just…" Joey said.

"Getting to know my daughter." Lorelai said.

"She's your daughter?" Joey asked.

"Yep." Luke said.

"Well, I am traveling with a friend." Joey said.

"She's sixteen!" Luke said, starting to get mad.

Joey's eyes got big. "Bye." He said and left.

"Thank you Lukey!" Rory said.

"She's been hanging around you too much." Luke told Lorelai and went back to work.

Lorelai and Rory start laughing.

Lorelai is at the Independence Inn. She is standing at the front desk sorting through papers.

"Independence Inn, Michel speaking. No, I'm sorry, we're completely booked. We have a wedding party here. No, there is really nothing I can do. Yes, I'm sure. No, I don't have to look ma'am, I -- Yes, of course I'll look." Lorelai heard Michel say. Lorelai took a deep breath and decided to go back and talk to Sookie.

Sookie is on the floor.

"Sookie? What did you do?" Lorelai screamed when she saw Sookie sitting on the floor.

"Aw, nothing. Try this sauce." Sookie said and shoved some sauce in Lorelai's mouth.

"Mmm... Sookie, this sauce is amazing!" Lorelai exclaimed. "I want to take a bath in this sauce!"

"I will make more." Sookie said.

"Somebody when we open our own inn, diabetics will line up to eat this sauce!" Lorelai said.

"Won't that be great?" Sookie said.

"Yah, but to someday achieve that dream, I need you to stay alive long enough." Lorelai said.

"Okay, okay. I'll be more careful." Sookie said and Lorelai helped her up.

"Good." Lorelai said.

"Now, tell me about your date the other day." Sookie asked, excited.

Lorelai smiled. "It was great!" She said.

"Okay, details please." Sookie said.

"Okay, so, he took me to a fabulous restaurant between Stars Hollow and Hartford and" Lorelai started.

Sookie started chopping vegetables. "The one he took you on your first date, umm, Sniffy's right?" Sookie asked.

"It's called Sniffy's, but he didn't take me there. He took me to a little restaurant and we ate and talked. It was so wonderful." Lorelai said.

"Anything dirty?" Sookie asked.

Lorelai laughed. "Sookie!"

"What? Was there?" Sookie asked.

Lorelai's smile got bigger. "Yah." She said.

"Yah?" Sookie asked excited.

"Yah and it was wonderful. I just wished I could have stayed all night." Lorelai said.

"I could stay with Rory if you want, hunny." Sookie said

"Nah, that's okay. I don't really want t be away from her for a night. Anyways, even if I did, Luke wouldn't let me. Rory comes first for him too." Lorelai said.

"Ah, that's so sweet!" Sookie said.

"Yah, it is. Well, I'm gonna get back to work. Bye sweetie." Lorelai said.

Lane and Rory walk in to Kim's Antique's.

"Mom!" Where are you?" Lane asked.

"Mrs. Kim!" Rory yelled after Lane.

"Who's that?" Mrs. Kim yelled back.

"It's Rory, mom." Lane said.

"Oh." They heard Mrs. Kim say.

"Wow, I can hear the disappointment from here." Rory said.

"Oh, come on. Stop it." Lane told her.

"You know, it sucks that after all these years your mom still hates me." Rory complained.

"She doesn't hate you." Lane said.

"She hates my mother." Rory said.

"She doesn't trust unmarried women." Lane said.

"Mom and Luke are going to get married." Rory whispered.

"What? Are they engaged?" Lane asked surprised.

"No, but they will be. They both love each other so much." Rory said.

"How do you know?" Lane asked.

"I just do. I can tell by the way they look at each other. Mom perks up when just Luke's name is mentioned." Rory said.

"Are you okay with this?" Lane asked.

"I am more than okay with this. Luke is just like a father to me. I don't see dad ever, only on holidays. He never calls or visits. Luke has always been there for me. I really want him to be my father." Rory said.

"That's great, Rory." Lane said.

Lorelai is at the Independence Inn opening a letter to see if Rory's accepted to Chilton.

"Yes, she got in." Lorelai whispers.

"What was that?" Michel asked.

"Uh, nothing. I'm going to go out for a little while, Michel. I'll be back in 20 minutes." Lorelai said and ran out the door.

"Luke!" Lorelai screamed as she ran in to the diner.

"Jeez, what's wrong?" Luke asked as he served two customers their order.

"Rory did it!" Lorelai exclaimed.

Luke stood in front of Lorelai and put his hands on his shoulders. "Rory did what?" He asked her, trying to calm her down.

"She got accepted in to Chilton!" Lorelai screamed.

"She what!" Luke screamed.

"She accepted in to Chilton!" Lorelai screamed. "This is it. She can finally go to Harvard like she's always wanted and get the education that I never got and get to do all the things that I never got to do and then I can resent her for it and we can finally have a normal mother-daughter relationship." Lorelai screamed again.

"That's great!" Luke said and went behind the counter. "Free burgers all around!" Luke yelled to the whole diner.

"Okay, well I got to go and tell Rory. Bye hun." Lorelai said and kissed Luke.

"Make sure to tell her congrats for me." Luke said.

"Will do." Lorelai said and rushed out of the diner.

Lorelai is at her house talking to Chilton. "I'm holding for Miss Bell. I've been trying to get a hold of her all day. Lorelai Gilmore. Hi! Oh, hi, hi. Yeah, uh, my daughter Rory has just been accepted - yay. Thank you, and, um, I got the invoice for your enrollment fee. Wow, that is a lot of zeros behind that five. Uh huh. Okay, well, I guess what I'm wondering is if you couldn't take, say, part of it now, just to get her going? Well, but she's supposed to start Monday. It just doesn't give me a lot of time to pull a bank job. Well, never mind, I was just kidding. No, a bank job is robbing a bank but -- Uh-huh. Oh, no. No, no, no. I don't want you to give up her space. I'll just -- I'll have to figure it out. Okay. No, thank you. It's been a real treat talking to you. Yeah. Bye-bye."

Lorelai and Luke are out on her porch later that night.

"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Uh, well, Lorelai" Luke said and rubbed his nape. "I can well… I can give you a loan if you want." Luke said.

"Oh, Luke." Lorelai said.

"I could. I have money saved away and I don't want Rory to not go to Chilton. She deserves to go." Luke said.

"Yah, she does but I don't want you to give up your money. You worked hard for that money, Luke. You should keep it." Lorelai said.

"But Lorelai, I want to give this to Rory. I want her to be able to go to this school and get in to Harvard." Luke said.

"And I appreciate that but, Luke, I can't take it." Lorelai said.

Luke pulled Lorelai in to a hug. "Then what are you going to do?" Luke asked quietly.

"I don't know. I'll have to think of something." Lorelai said.

"You know you could always go to" Luke started.

"No." Lorelai answered immediately.

"But it might be your only choice." Luke said.

"Luke, no. There would be several acts I'd reenact from a Stephen King novel before I'd resort to that option." Lorelai said. "Let's just drop it."

Luke sighed in to Lorelai's hair. "Okay." He said.

Rory came out in her Chilton skirt. "Eww! Guys, kid present!" Rory exclaimed.

Luke blushed.

"Rory we were just hugging." Lorelai said.

Rory rolled her eyes. "So, what do you think?" She asked.

"You look great, Rory." Luke said.

"Thanks. Mom?" Rory asked.

"You look like you were swallowed by a kilt." Lorelai said.

"Fine you can hem it." Rory said.

They go inside and Luke goes and starts dinner.

"I can't believe that tomorrow's my last day at Stars Hollow High." Rory said.

"I know." Lorelai said enthusiastically.

"Today I was so excited I dressed for gym."

"You're kidding!"

"And I played volleyball."

"With other people?"

"And I learned that all this time I was avoiding group sports?"

"Yeah?"

"Was very smart because I suck at them."

"Well, you got that from me." Lorelai said while pinning up Rory's skirt.

Luke pokes his head out from the kitchen. "Okay, well dinner is made. I'm leaving now." Luke said.

"Aww, you can't stay?" Lorelai whined and pouted.

"Nah, I have really early deliveries tomorrow." Luke said.

"But Luke! Who will make out coffee?" Rory complained.

Luke rolled his eyes. "I'm leaving now." He said.

"I'll walk you out." Lorelai said and followed Luke.

"Yes, which is code for I'll go make out with you where my daughter can't see!" Rory yelled after them.

Lorelai walked back in to the room straightening her shirt and started working on Rory's skirt again. "All right. This will give you an idea. Go see how you like it."

"Okay. I love being a private school girl!" Rory said.

Rory heads to her bedroom to check her skirt. Lorelai then looks at a picture of her at her parent's house on the mantle.

"Well, actually, I came here for a reason. Dad, would you mind sitting down for a minute?" Lorelai asked nervously.

"You need money." Richard said as he made the drinks.

"I have a situation." Lorelai said.

"You need money." Richard said.

"Dad, will you just please let me get this out, okay? Um, Rory has been accepted to Chilton." Lorelai started.

"Chilton? Oh, that's a wonderful school. It's only five minutes from here." Emily said.

"That's right, it is. She can start as early as Monday. Um, the problem is that they want me to put down an enrollment fee plus the first semester's tuition, and I have to do that immediately or she loses her spot." Lorelai explained.

"So, you need money." Richard said again.

"Yeah." Lorelai admitted. "But it's not for me, it's for Rory. And I fully intend to pay you back every cent. I don't ask for favors, you know that."

"Oh, yes, we know." Emily said.

"I'll get the checkbook." Richard said and stood up.

"Thank you. You have no idea. Thank you." Lorelai said.

"On one condition." Emily said and raised her finger in a number one.

"So close." Lorelai mumbled.

"Since we are now financially involved in your life, I want to be actively involved in your life." Emily dealed.

"What does that mean, Mother?" Lorelai said with a hint of disdain.

"I want a weekly dinner." Emily said.

"What?" Lorelai asked surprised.

"Friday nights, you and Rory will have dinner here." Emily said

"Mom..."

"And you have to call us once a week to give us an update on her schooling and your life. That's it. That's the condition. If you agree, you'll come to dinner tomorrow night and leave here with a check. Otherwise, I'm sorry, we can't help you." Emily explained.

"I don't want her to know that I borrowed money from you. Can that just be between us?" Lorelai asked.

"Does seven o'clock work for you?"

"Perfect." Lorelai said with a forced smile.

Rory and Dean are walking together and talking.

"Because you're nice to look at and because you've got unbelievable concentration." Dean said.

"What?" Rory asked confused.

"Last Friday these two guys were tossing around a ball and one guy nailed the other right in the face. I mean, it was a mess, blood everywhere, the nurse came out, the place was in chaos, his girlfriend was all freaking out, and you just sat there and read. I mean, you never even looked up. I thought, 'I have never seen anyone read so intensely before in my entire life. I have to meet that girl.'"

"Maybe I just didn't look up because I'm unbelievably self-centered."

"Maybe, but I doubt it."

Rory and Lorelai are sitting at Luke's and picking at their salads.

"So you got home late tonight." Lorelai said.

"Yah, I was at the library." Rory said.

"Oh. Oh, well we're going to your grandparents tomorrow night." Lorelai said.

"But it's September." Rory said confused.

"So?"

"So, what holiday is in September?"

"It's not a holiday thing. It's just dinner."

"Fine, sorry." Rory said.

Luke comes up and brings them their plates. "Red meat can kill you. Enjoy." Luke said and left.

"Wow, he sure knows how to treat a girl." Lorelai says and watched him for a few minutes.

"Mom?"

"Yah, sorry, hun. I was distracted." Lorelai said.

"I'm not sure I wanna go to Chilton." Rory said.

"What!"

"The timing is just really bad."

"The timing is bad?"

"And the bus ride to and from Hartford, it's like thirty minutes each way."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing."

"Plus, I don't think we should be spending that money right now. I mean, I know Chilton's got to be costing you a lot."

"Oh, you have no idea."

"All of your money should be going toward buying an inn with Sookie."

"What about college? What about Harvard?"

"We don't know that I can't get into Harvard if I stay where I am."

"Okay, enough. Enough of the crazy talk, okay? I appreciate your concern but I have this covered."

"I still don't want to go."

"Why?"

"Because I don't."

"I have to get out of here."

Lorelai stands up and starts to leave.

"We have to pay first."

Lorelai threw the money on the table and followed Rory out.

"Well, I think that went pretty well, don't you?

"Thanks for the knock."

"Listen, can we just start all over, okay? You tell me all about the guy and I promise not to let my head explode, huh? Rory, please talk to me. Okay, I'll talk. Don't get me wrong. Guys are great. I am a huge fan of guys. You don't get knocked up at sixteen being indifferent to guys. But, babe, guys are always going to be there. This school isn't. It's more important. It has to be more important."

"I'm going to sleep."

"Rory. You've always been the sensible one in this house, huh? I need you to remember that feeling now. You will kick your own butt later if you blow this."

"Well, it's my butt."

"Good comeback."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Rory, come on."

"I don't want to talk about this. Could you please, please just leave me alone?"

"Okay, fine. We always had a democracy in this house. We never did anything unless we both agreed. But now I guess I'm going to have to play the mom card. You are going to Chilton whether you want to or not. Monday morning, you will be there, end of story."

"We'll see."

"Yeah, we will."

Lorelai slams the door on her way out. Lorelai lies on the couch listening to Macy Gray until she hears the phone ring.

"Hello?" She answers.

"Lorelai? It's Luke. Listen, you left the diner and it looked like you and Rory were fighting. Are you okay?" He asked.

Lorelai holds back a sob. "We never fight, Luke. Never." Lorelai said.

"Lorelai, mothers and daughters fight." Luke said.

Lorelai let out a sob. "Not us."

"I'll be right over." Luke said and hung up.

Lorelai and Emily are fighting at Friday Night Dinner.

"Lorelai, come back to the table." Emily said as she walked in.

"Is this what it's gonna be like every Friday night? I come over and let the two of you attack me?" Lorelai asked.

"You're being very dramatic." Emily stated.

"Were you at that table just now?"

"Yes, I was, and I think you took what your father said the wrong way."

"The wrong way? How could I have taken it the wrong way? What was open to interpretation?"

Richard and Rory are able to overhear Lorelai and Emily arguing.

"Keep your voice down."

"No, Mother. I can't take it anymore. Tonight just seems like a nightmare."

"You're dripping all over the floor."

"Why do you pounce on every single thing I say?"

"That's absurd. You barely uttered a word all night."

"That's not true."

"You said pie."

"Oh, come on."

"You did. All I heard you say was pie."

"Why would he bring up Christopher? Was that really necessary?"

"He likes Christopher."

"Isn't that interesting? Because, as I remember, when Christopher got me pregnant, Dad didn't like him so much."

"Oh, well, please, you were sixteen. What were we supposed to do - throw you a party? We were disappointed. The two of you had such bright futures."

"Yes. And by not getting married we got to keep those bright futures."

"When you get pregnant, you get married. A child needs a mother and a father."

"Oh, Mom. Do you think that Christopher would have his own company right now if we'd gotten married? Do you think he would be anything at all?"

"Yes, I do. Your father would have put him in the insurance business and you'd be living a lovely life right now."

"He didn't want to be in the insurance business and I am living a lovely life right now."

"That's right, far away from us."

"Oh, here we go."

"You took that girl and completely shut us out of your life."

"You wanted to control me."

"You were still a child."

"I stopped being a child the minute the strip turned pink, okay? I had to figure out how to live. I found a good job."

"As a maid. With all your brains and talent."

"I worked my way up. I run the place now. I built a life on my own with no help from anyone."

"Yes, and think of where you would have been if you'd accepted a little help, hmm? And where Rory would have been. But no, you were always too proud to accept anything from anyone."

"Well, I wasn't too proud to come here to you two begging for money for my kid's school, was I?"

Rory looked up in surprise when she heard this.

"No, you certainly weren't. But you're too proud to let her know where you got it from, aren't you? Well, fine, you have your precious pride and I have my weekly dinners. Isn't that nice? We both win."

Lorelai and Rory walk in to the diner.

"So, nice dinner at the grandparents' house." Rory said.

"Oh, yeah, her dishes have never been cleaner." Lorelai said.

"You and Grandma seemed to have a nice talk."

"How much did you hear?"

"Not much. You know, snippets."

"Snippets?"

"Little snippets."

"So basically everything?"

"Basically, yes."

"Well, the best laid plans."

Lorelai and Rory take a seat at a table.

"I think it was really brave of you to ask them for money." Rory said.

"Oh, I so do not want to talk about it." Lorelai said.

"How many meals is it gonna take 'til we're off the hook?"

"I think the deli spread at my funeral will be the last one. Hey, wait, does that mean…"

"Can't let a perfectly good plaid skirt go to waste."

"Oh, honey, you won't be sorry."

Luke walks up to them dressed up.

Lorelai looks him up and down. "Hey did you dress up for me?" Lorelai asked and batted her eyelashes.

Luke rolled his eyes "No, I had a meeting at a bank." Luke said.

"Oh, sorry, I just thought you were dressed up for your gorgeous girlfriend." Lorelai said and flipped her hair.

"Nope. You look nice too. How was dinner?" Luke asked.

Lorelai sighed. "Horrible." She said.

"Sorry." Luke said. "I'll bring you some coffee." He said.

"Hey, Luke!" Rory called after him.

Luke turned around. "Yah?" He asked.

"Will you stay over tonight?" Rory asked.

Lorelai looked at Rory surprised.

"Uh, yah. If it's okay with your mom." Luke said.

"You definitely don't have to ask me." Lorelai said.

"Okay. We'll walk there together in 10 minutes." Luke said and began to close up.

"So, it's okay with you if Luke stays over?" Lorelai asked.

"More than okay." Rory said.

Lorelai smiled. "That's great." Lorelai said.

"Yah." Rory said.

"So, tell me about the guy." Lorelai said.

A/N So there's the first chapter. I hope you guys liked it. Please review.