Disclaimer: I forgot my disclaimer in Merry'd Life. I just realized that. Anyway, I didn't own anything 2 weeks ago, and I still don't.

This is my 40th story! That may not seem like a big deal, but it is to me, darn it. Hehe! This story takes place in season 3 or 4. Just pick one. There's no Jason, Alex, or Nicole. It's just LL. They're friends, nothing more. But by the time the tale comes to an end, they will be more. Much more. Mwahahahahaha! Story's complete. Read and Enjoy, Lovelies.

Risky Business

"Shhhhh!"

"Don't tell me to 'shhh'. You were talking too!"

"Lorelai!" Luke whispered harshly. He brought his finger to his lips, then peered out of the crack in the door.

"What do you see?"

He held a hand up to her. "Shh," he said again, more quieter.

"Luke, what do you see? Do you see anybody?"

He turned back to face her, his jaw clenching, his expression asking her why she couldn't just zip it.

"What did I do?"

"You have got to be quiet," he said tightly. His angry whisper was still much more contained than her normal one. "They're going to hear us."

"I'm not talking loud."

"You sound like a squawking bird."

Her mouth dropped open, and she jabbed him in the side with her finger. "Take that back!"

A stinging pain shot up Luke's body, and he jerked away. Unfortunately, the tiny closet wasn't made for such movements. He knocked into a floor lamp, and it sent a football rolling from a top shelf. He caught it quickly, and his eyes went back to Lorelai who was standing beside him with a rueful smile.

"Sorry."

Luke squeezed the football in his hands. "You want to get caught, don't you? That has to be it." He motioned to the ball. "Do you know what would have happened if this thing had hit the ground?"

She looked down at it in his hands before looking back at him. "It would have been a fumble?" His breaths escaped louder through his nose. Lorelai paused, shrugged. "...or a touch...down...?"

"This is not funny," he said. He tucked the football securely under his arm. "We're in a closet right now, Lorelai. In a damn closet. What can you possibly see that's funny?" She smiled. She didn't mean to, but it was funny. Luke was paranoid enough for the both of them anyway.

"Sorry, Luke. You're right, it's not funny," she said to appease.

"Then why are you smiling?"

"I'm trying not to."

"Try harder." He leaned back toward the small crack. "Now, keep your mouth closed for two minutes, will you?"

With that, Luke knew he had about fifteen seconds of silence to work with.

Lorelai was the reason why they were stuck in a closet together. She had gone inside of the house at Luke's objections. He'd stayed outside. From the backyard, he saw when Mrs. Dowdy's twenty-seven year old twins pulled into the driveway. Mrs. Dowdy, a beloved townie, had passed weeks ago, and her son and daughter had finally come back to Stars Hollow after fifteen years of being gone. When Luke saw them, he stood at the threshold calling Lorelai like a maniac so that she could come out before they came in. She didn't hear him. He cursed a million times as he quietly shut the backdoor behind himself and went in the house in search of her. He found her quickly, but not quick enough to get out. Hearing the front door, they panicked and stuffed themselves in the living room closet.

Luke peered into the large room that was bathed with midday sunshine. Two bodies moved in the distance. One female and one male. The woman was toned. Thin but toned. She had dusty blonde hair and hazel eyes. She had beauty that probably complimented everyone who she shared company with. The man was thin. Not toned, just thin. He was about 6'3" with brown hair and hazel eyes. He had a face that looked best in crowds. The twins looked nothing alike.

The guy spoke. "Hey, have you seen my burgundy tie with the little things all over it?"

She chuckled. "The little things? Nice description there, Bobby. And yeah, it's in the dining room."

"What's it doing there?"

"I dunno. Maybe you put it there," she replied playfully. "Just hurry and grab it. We're already late."

"Yeah," he agreed.

Silence followed.

"What's happening?" Lorelai asked in a proper whisper. She leaned in closer to Luke to try to get a peek of her own.

Luke looked back at her. "What do you think? He went to get the tie."

"But what is she doing?"

Again, Luke looked. "Just standing there," he said with bare audibility. "Putting on a watch or a bracelet or something." He leaned away from the crack with a tiny sigh. Lorelai moved back as well. Her eyes went up to him.

"They just got here. Wonder why they're leaving again."

Luke shrugged. "Who cares? Just be happy we don't have to stand in here all night."

She nodded. Smiled. "Do you think you're going to still talk to me after toda--"

Luke held a hand out to her as the voices picked back up.

"When I wore this in the store, that Doose guy came up to me."

"What'd he say?"

"Told me he loved it."

She laughed. "If I were you, I'd throw it out."

"No, I couldn't do that. It's my favorite tie."

"Shows how little taste you have."

"Shut up."

"Oh, now play nice." Seconds passed. "Just let me do that. You are so incredibly incompetent."

Luke moved away when he saw the woman reach for the man's tie. Lorelai looked at him in question before she was maneuvering around to the crack. Not only was Luke not keeping watch, but she wanted to know why there was quiet. Apparently, she couldn't take any amount of silence.

She pulled away, smiling. "Is that how you and your sister used to be?"

"Liz barely hung around long enough to help me with anything, let alone a tie."

They stuck to their quiet whisper.

Lorelai smiled. "They'll be leaving in a minute, then we can grab the earring and get out of here."

"Hope so."

The earring belonged to Luke's mother. Lorelai was the one who had gotten it lost in the dirt of a potted plant. Purchased by the lady twin. The day before, Lorelai had seen Luke and the jewelry box he held while she walking past the flower shop. They stopped to converse. Standing in the middle of a plant and flower emporium on the sidewalk, she prodded Luke, figuring a lady had gotten under his skin and had inspired an expensive gift. Luke handed her the small box, and she opened it and inspected what was inside, smiling and teasing Luke all the while. He let her know in a few words that he had found the earrings amongst his parents' things and was just going to get them cleaned so they could be stored properly. The teasing ended abruptly and by the time Lorelai looked down to flip the case closed, she discovered one earring missing. She panicked for minutes, searching all around. Then it occurred to her that the lady who had excused herself, bent down in front of her while she was teasing Luke, and had taken the small cactus plant, had mistakably gotten the pot with the diamond stud. She looked around, and the lady was nowhere to be found. She'd purchased the plant and had left several minutes before the search had begun.

Lorelai asked around. Drug Luke along. He tried to brush it off, telling her to forget about it, but both he and Lorelai knew how much the jewelry meant to him. Lorelai wasn't going to give up until the earring was back with its mate. The lady's name was Tabitha. Lorelai found out Tabitha's relationship to the town and went to Mrs. Dowdy's address. She went to the backdoor of the large home as the older lady always did. They knocked but got no answer. Lorelai found the door unlocked. It'd been twenty-six hours already, and she was ready to have her screw-up corrected ASAP. Luke's eyes bulged out when she felt bold enough to even try the knob. The door opened with a simple twist, and she shrugged back at Luke whose eyes, by then, were about to pop out of his head. She entered the house, Luke going into full flip-out mode in the back of her.

As they stood in the closet, Lorelai moved over and wrapped her arm around Luke's. "You're not mad, are you?" she asked pitifully.

He kept his eyes straight ahead. "Not mad. Just trying to figure out how I ended up pulling a B&E with Bill Mason over here."

"This is all my fault."

"You don't hear me objecting."

She took her arm from around his and shook her head, still smiling. "You're funny when you're scared out of your mind."

"I'm not scared."

"You're sweating." Her fingers went to the side of his ear, and she felt moisture on his skin. "See." Luke moved his head away, and she lowered her hand.

"We broke into this house, Lorelai. We weren't invited. These people don't even know who the hell we are. If they need a light bulb or they suddenly get the desire to toss the ball around," he said pointing to the pigskin in his hand, "they're going to come in here. And boy will that be a climactic moment."

"I live for adventure," she playfully remarked.

Luke gave her a look. "Well, I don't."

"Luke, relax. Their mom was really nice. So they probably are too. Even if we get caught, maybe they'll hear us out."

"If the shoe were on the other foot, would you?"

"Of course." Luke rolled his eyes. He should have been expecting her to say that. She went on. "See, Luke, you don't want to always jump to conclusions. You want to try to get to know your intruders, find out what may have happened in their childhood to lead to such behavior. Maybe that way, you'll end up with a friend."

"Or a funeral date." He leaned closer to her smiling face. "Let's be quiet, okay. It's really quiet out there."

They both tuned in, eyes wide. Luke was right. It really was quiet. Each of them pictured the siblings inching closer to the door with random blunt objects in both hands.

"Okay, now I'm scared," Lorelai whispered even quieter. Sound barely passed her lips. She grasped Luke's arm again and squeezed her eyes shut. Luke moved his eyes to the crack to see if they had moved.

They were still in the same place, and just as Luke spotted them, the lady turned back toward her brother. He had been fastening a necklace clasp for her. Luke relaxed and patted Lorelai's hand which was currently stopping blood flow in his arm.

"It's alright. He was helping her with a necklace." Talking resumed on the other side of the door. Lorelai breathed a sigh of relief, then loosened her grip. She didn't let him go, though.

"That's a little weird, don't you think?"

"What?"

"They're acting like a couple or something."

Luke rolled his eyes. "She helped him with a tie, and he helped her with a necklace, Lorelai. It's not like it was a pants zipper or anything. Besides, they're brother and sister, and what you're thinking is disgusting."

"Hey, even the Bradys had a little side activity."

"That was off set. And again, that's disgusting. New subject--or better yet, no subject at all. What do you say?"

Lorelai nodded, took a deep breath. She still remained glued to Luke's side. A minute passed in silence. "Look again."

"No."

"I'll do it." Luke stopped her before she could lean in front of him.

"Stop moving before something else falls. If we get caught, don't expect me to talk to you again."

"Ever?"

"Ever."

"You're lying."

"You think so, huh?" he asked, jaded.

"Oh my god, you're serious!" she exclaimed in a raised whisper.

Luke's index finger went quickly back to his lips. He peeked and saw that the siblings were still going about their business. "No, I'm not serious," he admitted in frustration. "But I will be mad, so just hush!"

Lorelai's expression was fixed in a frown. She started playing with her fingers while one arm was still entwined with Luke's. "That was mean. Don't do that again."

"Lorelai," Luke warned. He rolled his eyes, already knowing his tone was going to do absolutely nothing.

"I mean, where would I go for coffee if we stopped talking? I put up with that for a whole summer, and I refuse to do it again."

He looked at her. "Can we talk about this another time?"

She smiled suddenly. "You know what I was just thinking about?"

He sighed. "No," he whispered back wearily.

"Seven minutes in heaven," she answered.

Again, he looked over at her. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"Obviously there is. We have jail time looming over our heads and you're thinking about coffee and making out. What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked again with more emphasis.

Lorelai found herself smiling. Luke's anger was used to a much, much higher volume. It was now restricted to pitiful whispers and she knew he had to be going crazy because of that. She didn't want to cause him additional stress, but she tended to talk when she was nervous. It was completely out of her hands, unfortunately.

"Have you ever done it?" she asked.

His arm tensed as the rest of him did. Lorelai knew he was about to explode. She leaned in. "Sorry, Luke. I'm not trying to bug you. I just need a distraction." He stared at the door and calmed himself. It didn't take long. He felt Lorelai's fingers on his jaw, and he looked at her. She removed her hand. "See, your jaw finally relaxed," she commented with a tiny smile. "That's a good thing."

He let air exit his lungs. "Yeah, once," he finally answered.

Her eyes widened. "Really? Who with?"

He rolled his eyes. "Leigh Bynum."

"Who's that?"

"Just a girl that I went to school with. She was picked, I was picked, and we got seven minutes. No big deal."

"I disagree."

"What?"

"It's a very big deal. Was it at a party? Give me details."

"I'm not going into details. You wanted to know if I'd ever done it, and I told you. That's good enough."

"Was she hot?"

He scowled. "What?"

"Was she hot?" she repeated. "I've been in a couple times myself, and I never got the guy I really wanted to get. Was your girl hot?"

"She was okay."

Lorelai's eyes fell from his face as she went into thought. "I can't picture you going into a closet and making out for seven minutes, Luke."

"Good. You don't need to."

She paused. "Did you have a good time?"

"Let's pretend you didn't ask me that."

"But I did. How old were you? Did you use your tongue?"

He looked at her fast. "Jeez, Lorelai."

She gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, I'm nervous." She straightened up. "But seriously, did you use your tongue?" she asked curiously.

His lips twisted in defeat. "If you kiss somebody for seven minutes, do you use your tongue?"

"Ew, no. I think tongues are yucky. What about you?"

"You're annoying me."

She smiled widely. Then sighed. "So, you guys kissed with tongue. Did it go any further?"

"This isn't nervous talking, Lorelai."

"It is. Look." She showed him her other hand, and she moved it side to side really fast. "See, shaking like a leaf," she ended. "Now, what happened in your seven minutes?" she asked getting back on subject.

"We sat in there and got really quiet. Feel like a little re-enactment?"

"Which part?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"The part that has you not saying anything else. Right now, that's my seven minute heaven."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. She moved away from him and looked around for a minute. With a sigh, she brought her attention back to him. Like a magnet, she was moving into him once again. Her arm wrapped back around his.

"You hear anything?" she asked.

"Nope." Luke's head moved from right to left, up and down as he tried to see all that he could see through the crack. "Don't see anything either," he added. He looked over at her, her face just off to the side of his. "You think they left?" he asked her.

Neither one had been paying much attention to the twins' dialogue.

"I don't know, but you can go check," she answered, giving him a playful shove while still hanging onto him.

Luke thought for a few seconds before looking at her again. "Let's wait a couple minutes, then we'll stick our heads out."

Lorelai nodded. Paused. "Speaking of heads out...what else did you do in the closet?"

"That was dirty," Luke said in a flat tone. "Even for you. And I was thirteen, so don't go there. Just let it go, Lorelai. You're starting to sound obsessed."

"Just tell me."

He sighed. "We got in the closet, talked for a while, kissed for like a minute or two, then we got out," he relayed.

"Did you call her the next day?" She smiled.

"No," he answered anyway. "That was me and Leigh Bynum's entire relationship." He shrugged. "Saw her at graduation, I think."

"Hot."

"You satisfied now?"

"I'm a woman, Luke. I'm never satisfied."

"Well, suppress it until we get out of here." He looked down at his arm which was being held tightly by hers. "Are you scared or something? Your grip is lethal here."

She smiled. "Do you feel weird?"

"Weird how?"

"I don't know. In a dark closet. Just weird."

He watched her eyes move around for a moment before they settled back on him. "Do you feel weird?" he asked.

Her smile widened. "Definitely feels new."

"What does?"

"This...weirdness."

Luke rolled his eyes and faced the door again. "Whatever," he said, giving up.

Lorelai's hand rubbed his arm momentarily before she was tightening her grasp. "Making out in a coat closet. Who thought of such a thing, huh?"

"Some hormonal teenager is my guess."

"You have really big arms. Like all muscle."

"Thanks." He looked at her, meeting her eyes. "Better for you to squeeze the life out of."

She looked up at him. "The ...uh the first time I used tongue was in the closet. I did seven minutes in heaven with Denny Rogers. My first deep kiss."

Luke nodded. Kept looking at her. "Interesting."

She nodded too. "And personal. It's interesting and personal."

"I was just gonna say."

"What about you?"

He paused. "Same."

She smiled. "So, Denny Rogers got around huh?"

Luke just looked at her for a moment. "Well, what can I say? I was lonely...he was a sweet talker."

Lorelai held in laughter. It took seconds to reclaim somber eye contact. She did. "I've been told that I'm a pretty damn great kisser," she whispered proudly.

"Pretty damn great?" He smiled. "Hats off to you."

"Best in the state."

"You're a modest one, aren't you?"

"I didn't nominate myself," she whispered simply. Her eyes went off for second. "Tell me you don't believe me."

He smiled. "That's a big crown you're trying to claim. It is kinda hard to believe."

Lorelai stared into Luke's eyes for a long while. Then, she swallowed, smiled, and lowered her eyes to his shoulder. Her forehead went there next. "What am I doing?" she whispered in an even softer note. "God."

Luke peeked out of the door once more before he turned to face Lorelai completely. She finally let his arm go, and at his rotate, her head lifted from his shoulder but stayed low. "Hey," Luke called quietly. She looked up at him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She chuckled in silence. "Yeah, I'm fantastic," she stated, her tone sarcastic. "I'm gonna be quiet now, Luke, okay. No more talking." She sighed and turned away from him. "Ever," she added under her breath.

She was seriously about to kiss Luke just then. Luke! They were about to kiss each other. They were in that pre-kiss moment, and she seemed to have been working hard to get them there. Almost ten years of friendship, and they were about to kiss after five minutes alone in a freaking closet--like it was something they did all the time.

"You sure you're okay?" Luke asked. He moved to catch her eyes. If he wasn't mistaking--and he was sure he wasn't--that moment before was definitely about to lead somewhere. It vanished right before his eyes. Lorelai looked up at him and smiled a bit. She nodded at his question. He lowered his eyes thoughtfully then stepped away. "Okay," he submitted.

Lorelai took a breath. Luke took one of his own.

"I think they probably left."

Lorelai folded her arms, trying to bat away thoughts. "Well, then take a look," she said in a drained whisper.

Luke paused, weighing options and consequences. "One more minute," he said with a nod toward her.

She nodded. Stared at the door in front of her.

Silence filled the closet, and at the passing of another minute, Lorelai looked over at Luke. She gestured at the door. "Are you going to look?"

He looked over at her, his eyes moving around in nervous thought. "I don't know. I don't feel good about it."

"About looking?" He nodded. She smiled. "Do you want me to do it?" she asked condescendingly.

He grasped her arm like she was about to make a move. "No," he whispered fast. "Just wait. I just feel like it's too early."

Lorelai's smile widened, and she softly patted his hand which rested on her upper arm. "Don't be frightened. It's gonna be okay, Boy."

He pulled his hand back and glared at her. "Stop talking to me like a canine."

All of Lorelai's previous thoughts seemed to disappear, and she smiled goofily at Luke and bounced a little as the grin went away. She frowned playfully as she turned toward him. "I'm getting antsy, and I want to get out of here! I feel like I'm suffocating," she complained.

Luke sighed. He glanced between her and the cracked door. Mumbling under his breath, he inched his hands closer to the door, getting ready to push it open.

"Faster," said Lorelai.

"Be quiet."

Just as his fingertips reached the door, they both heard a door close in a neighboring room. They met eyes, and Lorelai's hand went to her mouth as Luke's stiffened body backed away from where he'd been about to peek out.

A car horn honked loudly.

"I'm coming, Tabby. I'm coming," they heard the guy mutter. His shoes sounded across the hardwood floor as he walked briskly through the house. "Hold your horses," he added dully. He opened the door, and immediately yelled to his sister. "You didn't have to start honking! I know you're waiting!" The last of his words faded out as the front door closed. He inserted the key and locked the deadbolt.

Luke and Lorelai didn't budge.

Luke gave Lorelai a hard look, and she just chuckled quietly. "You almost got us caught, Luke," she accused after she settled down.

He rolled his eyes away from her, and she hit his arm because of that look. "No, you almost got us caught. You and all of your damn impatience," he refuted.

Luke opened the door, checked the area, then stepped out, Lorelai behind him.

"Whew, fresh air," she reveled as she breathed deeply. "Nothing like it." She held both hands out, grabbing air and bringing it into her space. She was taken out of her moment as she felt Luke grab ahold of her arm. She yelped.

"Let's get out of here. Breathe outside," he said as they made their way to the kitchen to get to the backdoor.

She allowed herself to be pulled for a moment before she stopped and made him stop too by grabbing his shirt. "Wait, I have to find the earring."

He sighed in aggravation. "Forget about the earring. Let's just go."

She pulled free, looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Are you crazy? Luke, it belonged to your mom. I'm not leaving here until I find it." She tucked her hair behind her ears and turned away from him before he could respond. Her eyes scanned everywhere as she put her feet in motion.

Luke growled and started looking too.

Lorelai went into the kitchen and was surprised when she spotted the small pot in the window. Had she seen it upon entering, it could have saved a lot of trouble. "Luke, I found the plant!" she yelled. She approached the pot, mumbling the word 'please' over and over. She begged for the earring to be there. There was the possibility that it could have fallen elsewhere or that Tabitha had found it and stashed it someplace. Lorelai's shaky hands reached for the pot, and she pulled it down and looked inside, her mind and body filled with anxiety. As she searched only with her eyes, her hope waned and negative thoughts multiplied. Pushing aside a clump of black soil with her finger, her eyes popped out of her head, and she squealed, lifting the dirty stud with care. "Luke!" she yelled louder.

Luke dashed into the kitchen. "Why are you screaming? Do you not see where we are right now?"

She set the pot back over the sink carefully before she turned and rushed over to him. The ring went inside of a protective fist as she tossed her hands over Luke's shoulder. He almost fell over with her giddy bouncing against his body. "I found it! I found it!" she screeched with excitement, her arms tight around his neck.

Luke's frown slowly turned around at Lorelai's ridiculous amount of merriment. His arms were around her waist and had gone there more as a safety measure. She'd almost knocked them both over. His backward stagger was now just slow backward movement as they held that embrace.

Lorelai's laughter faded near his ear.

The celebratory, overzealous hold softened. Turned into something really close to affection. Luke steadily moved backward. His back hit the kitchen wall, and Lorelai's front pressed onto his. They stayed in place.

Lorelai's hand slid along his upper back and she raised it to the wall. She placed her palm against the wallpaper over his head and held that position for an additional few seconds. She lifted her head from his shoulder, and as soon as her cheek met his, a noise was heard that caused both her and Luke's eyes to fly to the door of the kitchen.

She stepped back, eyes wide. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

Luke moved from the wall. "Of course I heard that." He reached for her hand and directed her to the back door a few feet away. He kept watch on the kitchen door as he reached around Lorelai, quietly twisting the knob on the backdoor. Once it was open, he pushed her forward, "Go, go, go, go," he whispered.

She ran out, and Luke followed her over the threshold, turning and closing the door back silently. He guided the screen door to the frame and turned to bolt. Lorelai was peeking around the side of the house, and just as Luke turned to jump down off the porch, he saw her erect herself quickly and smile at something that he couldn't see from where he stood.

"Hey!" she greeted. She used her hands, as if excited, but Luke certainly was able to pick up the slight warning gesture to get the hell out of dodge. He turned, panicked. There was nowhere to go! At least not without running into view of whoever it was she was talking to. He stopped and just pressed himself against the house.

Lorelai glanced over and would have laughed if it were not for her own panic taking over.

She kept her cool.

She walked forward, preventing the twin from seeing anything in the vicinity of the back porch. Kneeling down, she scooped up a miniature shiranian. "Aw, where do you think you're going, Cutie? Huh?" she asked allowing the dog to lick her fingers. She looked up as Bobby, the male twin, finally caught up to the tiny runaway.

He smiled at her. "Thank you," he said as he took the furry creature from her. He playfully ruffled the dog's coat. "Jumped out of the car before I could stop her."

Lorelai smiled. "She's so cute."

He nodded. They both smiled lovingly at the dog for a moment before Bobby's eyes went to her, and he turned his head in question. "Do I uh--"

"—Know me?" she finished with laughter. "Uh, no you don't. But I know you, though." She waved her hand, erasing her words that sat in the air. "I don't know you know you. I'm not a crazy stalker lady or anything." She laughed, trying to cover how unbelievably uncomfortable she was. When amusement settled, she cleared her throat and tried to let her charm clear the road. "I knew your mother, I mean."

"My mom, really?" he asked with interest.

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, and I'm sorry to hear about what happened," she said sincerely. "She was a really kind woman."

He turned attention to the dog in his arms. "Yeah, thanks. It's been hard. But we're dealing, ya know. Taking it one day at a time."

Lorelai smiled in understanding. A few seconds passed. "I'm Lorelai, by the way. Lorelai Gilmore."

"Bobby Valentine," he said back.

"Valentine?"

"My dad. Mom was Dowdy. Dad was Valentine. Mom was the 'summer' parent," he said with quotes.

Lorelai nodded, not wishing to delve any further. "Well, it's uh nice to meet you."

"Same here. You too, I mean." He looked around, the smile returning to his face. "So, what are you doing in my mom's backyard, Lorelai Gilmore?" He leaned in. "I'm sorta hoping you'd recant on the stalking thing."

Lorelai's hands went in her back pockets. "So, you're partial to stalkers, huh?" she teased.

"Only if they're as beautiful as you."

Her eyes widened. "Ooh, flattery and puppies. You must've done your homework." She lowered her gaze as he laughed softly. Looking up, she removed hair from her eye. "I was actually just passing through to see if I could catch you guys."

He smiled. "Really? Why's that?"

Lorelai racked her brain, wishing she would have waited until she had a follow-up statement. She smiled invitingly. "I've seen you two around town, and thought I'd introduce myself." She winked. "Had to be the first to interrogate the newbies."

He laughed. "Sorry, you're too late. My sister and I ran into Miss Patty last week."

Lorelai snapped her fingers. "Darn," she uttered simultaneously.

He laughed some more and stepped to the side of her. "But from what my mother told me, I'm sure you'll know everything she does in no time. She's not exactly tight-lipped, is she?" Lorelai shook her head at his question, her heart leaping from her chest as he moved around her. "I'm just gonna grab her collar from the porch." He smiled apologetically at Lorelai as he walked around her so as not to appear completely rude. He and his sister had come back to the house because she'd gotten the sudden urge to pee. But they really were in a rush.

Lorelai's hand went to his arm, and he turned back toward her.

"So," she said quickly as soon as her hand landed on him. She thought fast. "How...uh long are you in town for?"

Bobby's hand continued to massage the small dog's fur. "Just a few more weeks, if that. We've started packing my mom's things, but we still have quite a ways to go."

She nodded. "Yeah, I can see," she said without thinking.

"What?" he asked confusedly.

She looked down. "I said I see," she covered. "Like I understand."

"Oh." He smiled kindly and started to turn. "Well I--"

"The reason I asked," Lorelai interrupted with another hand going to his arm, "Is because uh..." She circled his body slowly, forcing him to turn his back to the porch which was now in full view. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Luke inch away from the door. She continued on with Bobby. "...because uh, I was wondering if..." She thought, came up empty, and ended up saying the very last thing she wanted to say. "...you wanted to go out some time." She smiled. Anyone who knew her would be able to see how false it was.

He looked down at his feet, and Lorelai's brows squinted in confusion. He looked like he was thinking of the best way to let her down. She wondered if she'd imagined the flirting that he was doing not two minutes ago. Her attention went to Luke who scurried down the steps and fled to the other side of the house. As Bobby looked up, she smiled wider and met his eyes in time.

"You know, I understand if you can't," she said with a pitiful shrug. Her relief was hidden well. "Guess I had to at least try." She smiled.

"No, it's just that we're so caught up with all--"

"No need to explain. I get it. Really."

He shrugged. "I just don't see where I'd have the time to--"

She shook her head. "I really understand. No hard feelings whatsoever." She met his sorrowful eyes and smiled wider. "It's okay, Bobby Valentine. I have a strong heart. Takes a lot to break it."

He finally smiled at that. "Good to know." They looked at one another uncomfortably, and just before all attention was about to go to the poor dog again, Bobby pointed over to the porch. "I have to get going, but it was really nice to meet you."

She nodded, but before she could get words out, Bobby was turning back, apparently with an epiphany or realization of some kind as he snapped his fingers. "You know Tabby and I are going to be here tomorrow night. All night really. We'll be packing, but it'll probably be fun. I've been told that my sister and I are pretty entertaining. We always start arguing when we're around one another for more than 5 minutes, so that should be enjoyable." He shrugged. "The more, the merrier."

Lorelai pointed to herself, eyes wide. "Me? Oh, no I couldn't." She waved her hand. "That's a family...thing, and really, you don't have to try to throw me a bone. I'm fine with the no," she said, trying to shelter her insistence. She had no desire at all to date the twenty-seven year old twin. He was way too young. That, and he was nowhere near her type.

"No, I insist. Tomorrow night around 6. You're free, right?"

Lorelai's mouth opened. "Uuuh, Ieeeee-yeah, I'm free," she said as she created a smile.

"Good. See you then. And you'll get to meet Tabitha too. I'd introduce you now, but we're pushing it, ya know?" he said. As if on cue, they heard somebody lay on a car horn. He rolled his eyes and started moving back again.

She nodded. After a little thought, she tilted her head. "Um, your sister...is she single?"

Bobby grabbed the collar through the railing of the porch. "Yeah," he answered. "Why?"

Lorelai's eyes moved to the side of the house where she saw Luke's head peek around then disappear. He'd been doing it since he'd gotten around the corner. He couldn't hear their dialogue, and since he and Lorelai were both in the clear, he couldn't figure out why she wasn't trying to wrap up the conversation.

Lorelai smiled widely, taking her focus back to Bobby. "Would you mind if I brought a friend of mine? I'd just hate to intrude on you guys' packing party, then make your sister feel like a third wheel." She instantly regretted her use of the word party. They were, after all, packing up their deceased mother's belongings. Bobby didn't seem to take notice.

He shrugged. "Like I said, the more, the merrier." He started past her. "Just, uh," he looked back toward his car, "make sure the guy is halfway decent looking because Tabby isn't exactly known for sparing guy's feelings when it comes to that sort of thing," he finished apologetically. "It's a big flaw. She's put plenty of guys in therapy."

Lorelai shook her head. "Well, it's not a set-up; it's just..." Bobby gave her a raised brow. With that, Lorelai figured his sister would see it as a set-up, regardless. She sighed, smiled. "He'll pass the test. No worries."

The horn was pressed again and was held for seven seconds at least. Bobby gritted his teeth. "See how much of a peach she is?" Lorelai chuckled genuinely. He smiled tightly, perturbed at his sister. "I'll see you tomorrow. Six o'clock."

"Six o'clock. See you here."

He nodded, then left her with a kind farewell. Lorelai watched as he jogged to the car and climbed in. When they pulled away, she started over toward Luke. He appeared around the corner, frowning.

"What took you so long? What the hell were you doing, making a date with the guy or something?" he asked with sarcasm.

She smiled. "It's funny you should ask that. Listen, you're a guy, so what are the chances you've ever dreamed of spending the evening with a set of young, twenty-something twins?"

"What?"

Her smile widened. "One wish granted, two to go."

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"Luke."

"I told you not to talk to me."

"But Luke."

"Lorelai."

"Yeah?"

Luke looked over at her as they walked along the sidewalk. "Are you trying to drive me crazy?"

"No, of course I'm not. If you get driven crazy, I'm thinking that'd be your Get Outta Hell free card, and I can't have that."

He rolled his eyes. It was the following day 5:40pm, and they walked toward Mrs. Dowdy's residence. "Don't you mean Get Out of Jail free card?"

She shook her head insistently. "No, my friend, this is hell and nothing less. I personally can't wait until the night is over with."

"You?" he asked plainly. "I still can't believe I'm doing this."

"Because you looooove me," she said looking up at him with a smile.

He didn't hesistate with his dull response. "I tolerate you."

"Ouchie, that hurt."

"Good."

She gave him a look of shock. "You really need to kill the grumpiness, Danes, okay? I'm tired of apologizing here. It is partly your fault that we are even in this mess."

"I'd love to hear this explanation."

"I was saving your butt!" she exclaimed. "You think I wanted to ask Junior out? The guy isn't even cute! But you were about to get caught, so I had to think fast."

"You know what? My butt wouldn't have even been in that situation had it not been for you, Miss I Spy, so don't try to shove blame over this way."

"No, too late. I have my shovel and I'm tossing responsibility right back at you, buddy. You should have known better than to put precious family keepsakes in my care. You know me! You should have figured I'd lose it in the dirt of a plant."

He looked over at her, and she smiled wide at his humorless expression.

"I'm sorry," she ended up saying. Her arm went through his, and she laid her head against him as they walked. "Forgive me?"

"No," he said dryly.

She smiled. "You're a great person for doing this, Luke. I just didn't want to sit there with those two all night by myself. With you there, it's more like a group thing and less like a Demi and Ashton type of situation."

"No, it still is. Except now it's both of us in that situation, not just you."

"Footprints, Baby. Always two trails. No need for piggyback."

"Whatever."

She moved away from his shoulder so she could see his face. She'd gone kind of deep with that. And in that moment, she wasn't able to just brush off his ever present nonchalance. "What would you say if you weren't trying to play the part?" she asked quietly.

He looked at her, first with a slight frown, then with no frown at all. He lowered his eyes from hers. "Something other than 'whatever'," he answered.

She smiled. "Something sappy?"

"Didn't say that."

She leaned in and spoke above a whisper as if they weren't the only ones on the sidewalk. "But it would be sappy, though, wouldn't it?"

He shook his head, giving up. "Let it go."

"Can't."

"Never say can't."

"No, it's never say never. I can say can't."

"Don't say never or can't. They're in the same family."

She shrugged. "Okay, I will never say can't again."

"Good."

"Or never. Can't forget never. I will never say never and can't again. Can never say neither. Never again will I say can't and never. Never! Oops."

Luke sighed. "I have no one to blame for that but myself."

They made it to the Dowdy residence and climbed the back porch steps. Lorelai pulled the screen door open, then knocked loudly. "Last chance at escape," she whispered to Luke. He rolled his eyes tiredly. He was just ready to get it over with.

"It's open!" they both heard Bobby yell.

Luke leaned into Lorelai. "Don't they ever lock this damn door?" he grumped.

She smiled at him over her shoulder before she led them into the living room where boxes were spread all around. Jazz played on the stereo.

"Hey," Lorelai greeted.

Four hazel eyes turned to her. "Hey," the twins greeted at the same time. One set stayed on her and took in her entire length while the other set went behind her to Luke.

"Lorelai, this is my sister, Tabitha. Tabitha, this is Lorelai Gilmore."

Lorelai and Tabitha both smiled at one another. Tabitha moved her eyes back to Luke. "And you are...?" She walked over to him.

"Luke Danes."

"Nice to meet you."

He nodded. Lorelai turned and saw the pleasant smile on his face, and she was immediately proud. Tabitha kept her eyes on him without blinking, taking in every aspect of the face before her. Luke's eyes widened, and that courtesy smile went away. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

She smiled and finally broke her intense stare-down. "I don't have any complaints," she said, ignoring his question and talking over her shoulder to her brother instead.

"Boy, is that a relief," Bobby muttered. He'd seen it get ugly too many times to not be truly relieved.

"Complaints about what?" Luke asked.

Lorelai cleared her throat and turned back. "So, um, jazz huh? You two a fan?"

Tabitha spoke up. "It's okay but I wouldn't call us fans. We were listening to rap, but Mr. Smooth Operator here figured that was beneath you, so he switched to this."

Lorelai smiled at Bobby's immediate fluster. "I love rap, actually," she replied. "You didn't have to change it."

Bobby smiled.

"Well, I don't. So, I appreciate the station change," Luke added before anyone in the room got too happy with that little bonding moment.

Tabitha chuckled. She took his wrist and pulled him behind her to the couch. "I see you have no trouble speaking your mind," she observed. "Refreshing." They sat.

Luke nodded at her, then turned away as he leaned on his knees. "Speaking of refreshing, do you guys have any beer?" He looked between the two of them. "Or are you two not old enough to drink yet?"

Lorelai fixed him with a look that he only shrugged at. Tabitha and Bobby laughed about it. Bobby offered Lorelai a seat which she took, then he moved some boxes on his way to the kitchen. "Yeah, we have some beer. And we're legally able to consume it," he reassured with no hard feelings. "What do you drink?"

"Got Miller?"

He nodded and left.

"Miller's my brand too," Tabitha commented as she moved from the couch to the floor. She picked up newspaper and wrapped a picture frame. Luke's eyes went to Lorelai, and she took focus from Tabitha and lifted an acknowledging eyebrow toward Luke. He tapped his empty wrist. She smiled. "So, Luke, what do you do?" Tabitha asked looking from her task to him.

He nodded a little. "Diner."

She paused, expecting more. "Are you a server?"

"No, I own it."

Her eyes widened a bit. "Wow, big man, huh?"

Luke looked like he could not care less about carrying on conversation. "Yeah, huge," he answered with subtle mockery.

"Good to know." He looked back at Tabitha to see her smiling devilishly. "Just don't like to waste my time is all," she added with a serious squint of her eye.

Without blinking, and without any shock to speak of, Luke took his eyes from Tabitha to Lorelai. He gave her a look like some imaginary point of his had just been proven. Their eyes met, and Lorelai grinned and looked away.

"Okay, beer for you..." Lorelai looked up, shocked to see Bobby. She took the bottle of beer he extended.

"Thanks."

"Is Miller fine with you? Sorry I didn't ask."

Lorelai held it up. "It's perfect. Thanks," she said again.

"No problem." He moved over to the couch. "Here you go, Man." Luke thanked him and twisted his cap instantly. Bobby leaned over Tabitha. "And Your Highness," he stated emphatically. He held the second to last bottle out to her.

She took it. "Thanks, you did good. Now go bye-bye."

He rolled his eyes and turned away.

Lorelai looked between them. Bobby lowered himself to the floor in front of her. "So, which one of you guys is older?" she asked.

Tabitha raised her hand. "By six minutes."

Bobby nodded as he finished a swallow of his beer. "Yeah, sometimes I think that six should be tripled and stamped..." He slapped his palm on his forehead while looking at Tabitha, "...right on her forehead."

Tabitha smiled and shook her head toward Lorelai as she rolled a vase in paper. "Kids, ya know?"

Lorelai smiled.

Luke snorted.

Eyes went to him.

"Something in your throat, Luke?" Lorelai asked knowingly. He looked at her and saw her expression telling him that there better had been.

"Yeah. Suppose so," he drawled out.

She smiled. "Well drink some beer. That'll help."

"Thanks for the advice," he muttered. He looked at her, and saw her mouth 'Be nice'. He looked away.

Bobby and Tabitha didn't seem to pick up on anything strange. She looked up at Luke from where she sat on the floor.

"Luke, do you have any children?"

He shook his head. "Nope, no kids."

"Do you want any? How old are you?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Luke met her eyes, slightly put off by the question. "I'm 38. How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven," she answered pleasantly.

He rolled his eyes briefly, then lowered them to his beer bottle. "Do you want any kids?" he asked, turning the question around on her.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I think I could go either way. Just depends on the guy I end up with. I'll see how he feels about it, then go from there."

He nodded. "That's one way to go."

"Yeah."

He took a breath and shifted on the couch. "So, what is it that you do?"

"I'm in retail advertising."

"Really? Sounds interesting," he said sincerely.

"Yeah, it is. I really love what I do. It never gets boring, and I get to work with so many new people, so that's a big, exciting plus."

"Yeah, if you like that sorta thing, then it is. My job just has me dealing with the same people everyday and the occasional happy-go-lucky tourist."

"Ugh. I'd be ready to explode." He nodded. "But you love it, right--your job?" she asked.

He thought for a minute. "Yeah, it's home. Wouldn't trade it."

Tabitha smiled. "Then, that's all that matters," she ended with finality. "Do what makes you happy."

Luke nodded. "Good words to live by."

"And I do. Everyday." She looked up at him and smiled more. A corner of his mouth turned up as well before his bottle was given his attention again. Tabitha moved on the floor and picked up a small box. "So, I hope you don't think you're going to sit there and not work, Mr. Slick." She waved the box in his face, and he smirked and took it. She placed a handful of small figurines on the couch along with some newspaper. "Let's see if you can work for your supper," she added with a wink.

He shook his head and set his bottle down. "You cook?"

"Well, tonight we were just going to order pizza. But yeah, I cook," she affirmed with a smile. "Usually with the Food Network leading the way, but I'm learning."

"Nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah, I'm finding it to be rather cathartic. I enjoy it."

"Me too. Good stress reliever."

Her smile widened. "And it seems we both know how to keep that passion in check. You have a nice body."

Luke's cheeks went from normal to deep red in .045 seconds. "Yeah...thanks." He was not about to turn the compliment back around even though it would have fit her even more. She was gorgeous. His eyes went to Lorelai a few feet away.

She met his eyes and gently bit the side of her lip as she looked at him for seconds. Then she looked away.

Bobby looked up at her, and she smiled for him as they began to converse, picking up where Luke and Tabitha had picked up. "So, what's your career, Ms. Gilmore?"

She took a deep breath and entered into conversation with him.

Luke watched and listened for the minute of silence that Tabitha allowed them. His eyes went to her when she started talking again. He got pieces of paper and wrapped up their family's memories as he spoke to her.

Forty-five minutes slipped by.

Bobby set his second beer on the floor and stood. "I'll be right back. Restroom break," he announced.

Tabitha nodded at him and stood up as well. Bobby headed into a back room. "Well, this is as great a time as any to get the pizza order in. Are you two okay with supreme, little of everything?"

Lorelai nodded. "That's perfect. Extra cheese?"

Tabitha smiled. "Got it." She looked at Luke. "Supreme okay?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, that'll work." He figured he could pick off the sausage which he wasn't a big fan of.

"You sure?" she asked considerately.

"Yeah," he answered with more certainty. "I'm sure. Thanks, Tabitha."

She smiled and walked into the kitchen, looking like a supermodel on a runway. Lorelai watched her. Her eyes went to Luke in the next second. She thought she'd catch him with his eyes glued to her ass. Instead, he was looking into his lap trying to figure out the best way to wrap the large, awkwardly shaped candlestick holder he held.

When the kitchen door swung back, Lorelai leaned on her armrest toward Luke.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked in a raised whisper.

He looked at her. "What does it look like? I'm trying to wrap this anomaly."

She shook her head and moved a little closer to the side of her seat. She broke the whisper and just spoke in a quiet voice. "You do know that this isn't a date, right?"

"What isn't?"

"This! We're just hanging out here. This isn't a double date," she said with a quick shake of her head.

He widened his eyes. "I know that."

"Really? Because I'm having a hard time seeing that you do."

"And I'm having a hard time seeing what the hell you're talking about."

"You're flirting with her!" she exclaimed quietly.

He frowned. "No, I'm not," he defended.

"Yes, you are! You guys are over there smiling and finding stuff in common and talking and--"

"Hey, you're the one that told me to be nice. That's what I'm doing. And you're doing the same damn thing with that New Kid on the Block over there."

She shook her head. "No. Don't change the subject. That's different."

"Different how?"

Lorelai turned to the kitchen, then the back room to make sure the coast was still clear. She looked back at Luke and leaned in more. "It's different because your twin is hot. Mine isn't. You got Arnold Schwarzenegger and I got Danny Devito."

"What?!"

"Oh, you have such a great body," she mocked. "What the hell is that?" She sat back and crossed her legs indignantly. "And you're just soaking it all up. Blushing like a schoolboy. It's disgusting."

Luke was stuck on her previous statement. "My twin is hotter than your twin? Are you serious with this?"

"Very."

"Do you want to tag hands and switch or something?"

She leaned over the armrest again. "No, I want you to pull back on the flirting. We're here packing. We're packing and hanging out with these twenty year old kids, Luke. This isn't Love Connection. I didn't invite you along for that."

"Dragged me along is more like it. And I'm not trying to date that woman!"

"So, what's with all the giggling?"

"I don't giggle."

She relaxed and looked away from him. "Just keep in mind the objective here. That's all I ask."

He shrugged and calmed himself. Decided to push her since she was pushing him. "So, what are you...like...jealous?"

She blinked her attention to him without turning her head. She held no expression. They both stared.

A loud clap came from the back, and Bobby's voice suddenly filled the room. "Okay, the tank is empty, and now it needs some food." He came to the center of the floor, and both pair of eyes turned to him. "Did Tabitha order the pizzas?" he asked.

"She's uh..." Lorelai pointed to the kitchen and seemed to lose her train of thought, "She's doing it now," she finally got out.

"Good. Because I'm starving," he revealed as he sat back on the floor and folded his legs indian syle.

Luke and Lorelai met eyes and looked away again.

Lorelai jumped slightly when something landed in her lap.

"Checca, no!" Bobby reached for the small dog which was excitedly trying to climb up Lorelai's stomach.

She chuckled and picked her up. "It's okay," she said to Bobby. She held the squirming puppy up to her face. "Hey, you. Where've you been? Hiding? Checking out the company from afar?" She laughed as the puppy started wiggling so much, she nearly fell out of her hand. "Okay, okay," she said as she lowered her to her lap. "There you go." She smiled widely, watching the dog run this way and that trying to make it back up to her face.

Lorelai laughed again and looked up at Luke. He smiled, watching the scene. She picked Checca up and held her out to Luke.

"You wanna go to Uncle Luke?"

Luke's smile slid away. "I am not that dog's uncle."

Again, Lorelai laughed. She placed the dog back in her lap and watched her play.

Tabitha came back in the living room. "Okay, pizza's on the way," she announced. She pointed a finger at Lorelai as she went to claim her seat. "When I was on the phone, I remembered your request for extra cheese, and I kinda muttered your name, and now the pizza guy is throwing in breadsticks and cinnamon bread."

Lorelai gave a proud smile. "I've got clout. Stick with me, and you'll never go hungry."

"And you'll never have to worry about living to be a senior citizen either."

Tabitha and Bobby laughed. Lorelai gave Luke the evil eye and whispered words to Checca while pointing at him.

He rolled his eyes.

The pizza arrived within twenty minutes, and the group of four wasted no time digging in. Tabitha and Luke continued to talk, as did Bobby and Lorelai. Luke's eyes would go to Lorelai occasionally and more often than not, he'd see her attention either on him or turning away from him.

When a topic would get opened for everyone, the two L's would openly regard one another for long seconds.

That went on for over an hour after the pizza arrived.

Luke brought his third beer to his lips and finished it off. He stood up from the couch and looked around. "I can get these boxes and bottles out of the way if you guys want," he offered.

Tabitha looked up at him. "Aw, you don't have to do that. You're our guest," she said all while handing him her two empty bottles.

Luke laughed. "It's okay. I don't mind."

"Thanks, Luke," Bobby added.

Luke gathered up all bottles and placed them inside the empty pizza box, leaving the other which still had pizza in it. He collected the remaining bottles with his free hand as Bobby turned attention to Checca.

"It's time for you to go outside, Little girl. Mom would turn over in her grave if you did your business on this carpet."

He looked over at Tabitha, and they shared a sad smile.

Lorelai cleared her throat, and Luke lowered his eyes and left the room, arms full. "I can walk her," she volunteered. The moment had turned a little wistful, and she felt like it wasn't where she belonged right then. By Luke's sudden departure, obviously he felt the same way.

This time, Tabitha's humility was real. "Lorelai, you really don't have to do that. You guys are too nice."

Lorelai stood up. "No, it's totally okay. I need to stretch my legs anyway, and I feel like me and Checca have bonded. This will kind of seal the deal, ya know. Put me in her good graces for good."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked.

Lorelai shook her head, no and turned to pick up the dog. She smiled at Bobby and walked past him on the way to the kitchen. She pushed the door open, and it closed behind her.

It'd gotten dark outside, and the only light in the kitchen was the dim one over the sink. Lorelai held the dog in one hand close to her side as she made her way to the backdoor. It opened as Luke came back inside after taking the trash out. He paused upon seeing her. She did too. He pointed to Checca.

"You're walking her?"

Lorelai looked down at the puppy, which had settled down significantly from earlier and was simply looking up at Luke with calm. "Yeah," she answered.

He nodded. "Okay." He moved away from the door so she could get past. "Use the porchlight. It's dark out there," he said.

She looked at him as he spoke. "Okay," she said simply.

He moved along the wall, and she lowered her eyes. He ended up in the same spot that he'd been in the day before. The same spot on the wall where Lorelai had been pressed into his body. She was now more than two feet away from him with her shoulder to his front.

Luke stood leaning on the wall as he looked at her. She wasn't moving. Was just looking downward, the docile puppy protectively under her opposite arm. His eyes went to the kitchen door then back to her. He reached a hand to her elbow and pulled lightly.

She went with little urging. Her side hit his front. Luke let her stay that way for a short while before he placed his hands gently on both her sides and turned her. He rotated her halfway and she went the rest of the way on her own. Front to front, she pressed her body into his lazily. Her eyes stared into his.

"I wasn't jealous," she said quietly.

He moved his hands along her sides. "I know," he whispered back.

She lifted her chin, and her free hand went to the back of his head as she pulled him down to meet her lips.

And just like that, they were kissing.

Their tongues became entangled. They explored slowly, basking in the true pleasure that they'd apparently been missing out on for years. Lorelai's hand moved through his hair, and she pressed him as far into the wall as he could go. Quiet, fitful moans from Lorelai had Luke reacting.

He lowered his hands from her waist to her ass. Started caressing her cheeks. He gripped them and began pulling her up against him using that part of her body. He repeated that over and over, making her want to climb up his body at the feeling.

Lorelai nearly dropped the dog as the kiss got even more heated.

They separated to catch a breath. Eyes still closed, they went back at each other in the next second. The passionate kissing went on for a while longer.

"AHEM!"

At that loud, arbitrary clearing of the throat, Luke and Lorelai realized that it was a sound they'd been hearing for more than a few seconds. That one was just the one that demanded some acknowledgement.

The making out got thrown on pause. They opened their eyes, both their tongues still on loan. A brighter light invaded their corneas, and they realized the main kitchen light had been flipped. Luke removed his hands from Lorelai's assets, and they slowly pulled away from the kiss.

They realized where they were and wanted to vanish from embarrassment. They remained close as their eyes finally made it over to the kitchen door where both Tabitha and Bobby stood.

Lorelai swallowed deeply. "Uh...hi." She smiled, narrowing her dangerously dark eyes in the process.

Tabitha's arms were folded, and she unfolded them briefly to wave. "Hi back," she said. She leaned on counter. "I could have sworn that you had brought him for me," she said.

Lorelai looked back at Luke who was looking down in discomfort. "Well, I did--no, well I didn't--I brought him for the group but it's not like this is something that was planned. This was a first..." She looked back at Luke, "...kiss," she ended quietly.

Bobby shook his head. "Boy, do you two know how to do it up proper."

Lorelai's eyes went from him to his sister, and she realized they were teasing them. They weren't taking it personally at all, which put her at major ease.

"I'm sorry, guys," she said, still remaining close to Luke. "We're sorry." Her hand rubbed down his arm. "Right, Luke?" she asked. He nodded, still looking low. "See. We're both sorry like crazy."

Tabitha shook her head. "I really liked you, too," she said to Luke. He glanced at her.

Lorelai paused and put on a smile. "Good thing life goes on, right?"

Luke squeezed her side, and she ignored him, still looking at Tabitha.

Tabitha chuckled and hit Bobby's side. "Come on, baby brother. Let's give them some time to get everything situated and...put down if that's the case." She winked at Luke. He flushed. Tabitha turned and pushed Bobby's shoulders as he led the way out of the kitchen. "Mom would be so happy to know her house is finally getting some action," she joked.

Bobby chuckled.

Once they exited, Luke and Lorelai looked at each other before their foreheads came together.

She smiled. "I loved that you grabbed my ass," she whispered.

He shook his head. "My pleasure," he whispered back.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

One month later:

Lorelai's back moved up the wall and was barely given chance to slide down before it was going back up again.

'Yes' she mouthed, her arms wrapped around Luke's neck.

He pushed into her hard, and a very audible moan came from her. He slowed down and allowed her face to come down and meet his.

"Shh," he said against her lips before he slid his tongue deep into her open mouth. They kissed hungrily for a long while as he slid only half of his length in and out of her tightness. He pulled away and hiked her up using her thighs. He brought her down over and over, and he went deep inside of her.

Lorelai hated that she couldn't see his face. She liked to see his face during.

She moved her lips back to his and kissed him deeply, briefly this time. "Talk to me," she whispered breathily.

"Not the time, Lorelai," he whispered back.

She moved her arms to the insides of the doorframe and got leverage. She dropped onto him and grinded with emphasis. "This is the perfect time. Tell me you like it, Luke."

"You're worse than a guy, you know that?"

She smiled in the dark space. "You want me to ask you who it belongs to?"

He matched her pace. "Who what belongs to?"

She started grinding more, moving her hips better than a lady of the night. "This," she answered, her mouth unable to fully close. She dropped again. "That."

"That's an easy one."

"You better say me," she said, her smile widening. She could hear his whispering tone about to go in a teasing direction.

He moved his lips to her neck and sucked lightly before pulling back. "It's all yours," he admitted.

She slowed her pace and moved windingly, her breaths sexy and long. "And this is all yours," she whispered back, her bare voice fading out. "Let me know you want it."

Luke moved away some, cursing under his breath. Lorelai had skills like he'd never known before. He looked between them even though he couldn't see anything. He licked his finger and took it to her love bump. "I've already got it," he answered.

She chuckled. "Talk dirty. Tell me you want it. Tell me how much."

He moved all the way back in and made her wrap all limbs around him. He slid his way in and out, making her acknowledge the hell out of his pubic bone. Sweat formed between their close-moving bodies. After several more minutes of that, Luke moved back and allowed Lorelai to hop down.

She turned her back to him and leaned toward the door. He grasped her side and she felt him at her entryway. "This probably isn't the best position if we're worried about noise," she teased. He sank into her, and she gasped. Grabbed the side panels and started pushing back into him. "God, oh my god," she whispered, all humor gone from her voice. "Yes." She swallowed and lowered her chin to her chest. One hand left the panel and went between her legs. She rubbed vigorously and fought like mad to hang onto the feeling that was about to shoot up her body. She succeeded quite well. "I'm close, Luke," she said quietly.

Lorelai's hand went back to the door. In the past few weeks, she'd gotten to know Luke very well. She knew how he was about to reach over and take the wheel of that car without question. She didn't have to ride out her own climaxes. All she had to do was enjoy them. He handled the rest like a pro.

He spread her feet more with his, and she felt him go to just the right spot inside of her. He began to stimulate her clit with his dampened fingers, penetrating her with an experienced rhythm. He felt her body tighten, and he grasped her hips with both hands and pounded her harder. She squeezed her lips together as she was pushed over the edge. Not one bit of the feeling was lost en route. Though her mouth was closed, sound in her throat still echoed around the enclosed space. Luke figured that's when she must've thought 'to hell with it' because her lips parted and with each powerful charge of her climax came a moan that sounded amplified by a foghorn.

His eyes widened but he was still unwilling to cut her pleasure in half by stopping. He continued to push his way through the throbbing of her walls. She followed the large climax with several more. Aftershocks that felt very much like the main show.

His pace matched her body's excitement. When it slowed, he did. He moved in her gingerly, grasping her breasts and winding his hips in and out. Lorelai rested against the wall with little strength. She moved her body away from his causing him to spring out of her. His hand went to his eye where he wiped away sweat, and Lorelai got on her knees in front of him. She searched him out in the dark and took him in her mouth.

He moaned quietly, closing his eyes.

She put a hand on the side of his thigh, as he seemed incapable of remaining rooted.

Her name was whispered repeatedly, and again, she wished she could see his face. She cupped his balls, sucked and fondled them, and did everything short of telling them directly she wanted them drained. Her hand pumped him hard. She sucked and deep-throated as much as she could take. Gagged a few times as she tried to take even more than that. And again, she pumped him.

Luke had stamina that wasn't exactly made for quickies in closets.

She made his knees go weak a few times, but she failed to see results. Finally, when she felt that she was in risk of lockjaw, he said the words that she longed to hear.

"Lorelai, get ready."

She devoured all that he had to give, and kept her attention on that part of his body until he had no wood left to handle. She stood up, her knees now aching and sore.

"Jeez, Luke. We're gonna have to let this be our first and last time into to the world of Seven Minute Heaven. I don't think you're capable of upholding the seven minute part."

"Sorry." He rubbed her back as she flexed her poor knees.

"Tell that to my muscle and joint specialist."

"I'll try to be more quick from now on."

She grabbed his arm. "No, don't do that. I love that you're not quick."

"Well, why are you complaining?" he asked rhetorically. He pulled her to him roughly and wrapped his arms around her body with contrasting affection.

She smiled. "From now on, let's just stick to beds and plush carpeted flooring."

He kissed her forehead. "Okay, Grandma."

She hit his bare chest. "Get dressed, Five Hour Man."

He smirked and stepped back in search of his underwear. They both dressed themselves in the dark.

Lorelai opened the door and stuck her head out first. Seeing that the coast was clear, she came out fully and inspected her clothes. She moved over to the desk. The door opened again, and Luke stepped out. Finding that all of his clothes were turned the correct way, he shut the inn's hall closet door and put his hands in his pockets as he walked over to the desk where Lorelai was.

Lorelai smiled at him. "See, no one's around." It was almost eleven at night. The staff was gone and would be gone until midnight when the night manager came in. She was working for Michel until then. "Told you it'd be okay," she said.

He leaned in and motioned to the closet. "You get one of those things every five years. Choose wisely."

She smiled wider at his subtle implication of their life together. "You don't want to be my exhibitionist partner? It really turns me on," she said with a wink.

"No, I don't," he said not taking the bait.

She rolled her eyes and leaned on the counter. "It's okay. I just wanted my last ever Seven Minute Heaven memory to be a really good one. And doing it in the closet at home just wouldn't have much sense."

"Yeah, well savor this memory because if we do it again in the closet, it'll be at home." He adjusted his hat. "You were so loud," he complained quietly.

She shrugged without care.

They both looked over when they saw two thirteen year old boys rush from upstairs over to the hall closet where they had just come from. The boys stood just off to the side and leaned toward the door.

"I don't hear anything," one said.

"Wait, they're in there. Give it a minute," the other said. They listened again.

Luke looked at Lorelai with a look of terror. She held in laughter. They couldn't hear the boys talking but they definitely could see what it was they were doing.

"Man, you're lying. I knew you were lying."

"I'm not!" he exclaimed quietly. "I heard a woman. Then, I heard a guy. And they were like...making sex noises and stuff." Again, they leaned in.

The first boy hit the other one on the shoulder. "You're a jerk, dude. I should have known better to come down here for this." He turned and left.

The other boy watched his friend leave, exasperated. He started to walk away too but turned back. He made loud noises and knocked wildly on the door before taking off up the stairs.

Lorelai started to laugh uncontrollably.

Luke was as white as a ghost. He didn't say anything for a long moment as he watched Lorelai laugh like something was actually humorous. He rolled his eyes at her and started walking toward the inn's door.

She laughed at his back. "Luke!"

"Leave me alone."

"Luuuuuuuke," she whined. He opened the door to leave. "We're still on for our date tomorrow night, right?" Lorelai called. He stepped out. "Seven o'clock, Honey!" she reminded before the door could close. It shut on her last word. She stared in that direction.

The door opened back and Luke stepped inside. "What part of leave me alone don't you understand?" he asked annoyed.

Her eyes shifted. "The whole...thing."

"Whatever." He closed the door back, then opened it again in the next second. "And we better make it for six-thirty. Movie starts at seven-fifteen."

She smiled widely. "Okay, see you then."

Luke sighed. Shook his head at her. He gave her a firm look, which was quickly faltering. Lorelai brought her hand to her lips and held it there for several seconds. Her eyes slid closed, and she opened them as she blew him a slow kiss. She continued to stare, a tiny smile resting on her lips.

He just looked at her plainly, trying hard to hold onto his agitation. He started to leave, then turned back with muttered words. He puckered his lips at lightening speed and kissed in her direction before he turned and left, closing the door behind himself.

Lorelai broke into a grin. She shook her head as she went back to the inn's tasks.

"Don't beat yourself up, babe. Rest assured, I'm whipped too," she whispered to herself.

-The End-

I hope you guys enjoyed that. I love the townies, and I don't want anyone to think otherwise. But new characters are always just fun to write. I hope no one sees it as lacking. That wouldn't be good.

Take care til next time. Two fingers. :-p