Chapter 1: The Dark Day

Luke Danes was brooding. Not that he should have been surprised that he was; it was the anniversary of his father's death, after all. His annual Dark Day. But unlike most Dark Days, he had been unable to get away from his hometown of Stars Hollow, or his Diner, to spare the people he loved.

And all of them were now running him ragged.

"Luke, can you please consider putting up decorations in your window? Just this once?" Taylor pleaded.

"Not now, Taylor," Luke growled.

Kirk all but attacked Luke over at the counter as he rounded back over towards the Keurig. "Luke, can you provide me with another cup and extra milk?"

"Kirk, provide me with a FILTER for that brain of yours! You're driving me insane!" Luke barked. Luke was having a hard enough time as it was, with the clacking of Rory's laptop ringing in his ears at one table.

Luke's wife, Lorelai, frowned at Luke's unusually harsh treatment of Kirk. "Honey, can you lighten up a tad?"

"Can you, for once in your life, stop talking?" Luke bit back. More clacking of the laptop finally made him explode. "Rory, haven't you finished that silly book yet? Now, stop it, STOP IT!"

The entire eatery fell silent in utter shock. Though a few patrons were glaring at Luke. Jess now stalked back from the storeroom. "Leave Rory alone, Luke! You're being an ass!"

"Says the guy who was nothing BUT an ass until he was 18!" Luke returned.

"FUCK YOU!" Jess bellowed. WHAM! He punched Luke in the face so that blood spurted from his nose and began trickling down towards his mouth.

Now, a pin drop could have been heard in the Diner as Luke finally cooled his jets and realized how awful he had been. He tried to apologize, but no one would listen to him. Sadly, he stumbled out of the Diner and fled in his truck, shaken by how much of a monster he had become.

Standing on a highway bridge outside Hartford, deep depression and frustration stewed inside Luke. He couldn't believe how much he had hurt everyone he cared for. Maybe it would be better...

Luke began to climb the bridge's railing. He was swinging one leg over when...

"It's a long way down."

Luke looked back to see an elderly man in a tweed coat and hat observing him. "Who are you?"

"Clarence Osbody, Angel 2nd Class," the man held out his hand. Ignoring the odd status title, Luke shook it. "Why do you wanna jump anyway?"

Luke sighed. "I don't know. I'm still not over my dad dying 30 years ago. And today I've been alienating everyone I've ever cared about. They're seeing me for the monster I really am. Sometimes... sometimes I wish I'd never been born!"

Clarence raised an eyebrow and frowned. "You really mean that?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" Luke groused.

Clarence shrugged. "OK, then."

And he suddenly waved his hand.