--

What would have happened if Lorelai and Luke had not walked away from each other in the supermarket that faithful night? I plan on doing one chapter for each episode but will see how the story flows. It will mirror most events in the final season.

Sliding Doors

'Luke had just dumped me.' Lorelai thought as she stood there looking at Luke just a few small yards away, but he might as well have been on the moon with the distance he had just put between them. Yes he had a right to believe she didn't love him after the terrible mistake she had made that night, she needed to set things right she needed to be honest even if he said he didn't want this anymore and to stop pretending.

Lorelai watched as Luke walked away, his words sticking in her like knifes. He rounded the corner and disappeared, out of his sight she started to cry, a few tears rolling down her cheek. She used her sleeve to wipe her face but she couldn't just stand there with her ice cream melting in her hand so Lorelai moved. Slowly at first going down a different isle to avoid Luke she made her way towards the checkouts. Keeping her head low she came to the line and spotted some familiar looking boots and jeans right in front of her. Looking up yes is was the same flannel that just officially broke up with her and now she was standing mere inches from the blue cap she had given him many years before.

Luke feeling her presents turned around. "Are you alright?" He said is a quite tone, noting her puffy eyes and makeup that was smeared with tears.

"I'll be fine when I get out of here." She said not wanting to look at him.

They whet through the checkout in silence, when Luke was finished he picked up his bag and walked to the door. Taking a few seconds Luke look back at Lorelai as he reached the sliding doors, then walked out. Lorelai looked up a second later, to see him vanish into the night.

Lorelai needed to make a move, she knew she still loved him and she hoped he still loved her no matter what he had said just five minutes before. Paying for the ice cream Lorelai rushed to the door and scanned the car park, praying her had not left. Spotting the familiar green truck she ran to it. "Luke!" she yelled, "Stop!" Lorelai caught up to Luke just as he started backing out of the parking spot.

"Lorelai, what is it." He said concerned at her actions, he had never seen her run unless it was an emergency.

"We need to talk." She said holding on to the window frame of the driver's door.

"I think we've said enough." Now a little mad at her.

"I still love you." She said not knowing what else to say. "I've made some stupid mistakes in the last few month, I know that now but I still love you."

"So you slept with Christopher." Luke said shutting off the engine. He was in no state to drive being this mad again.

"That was right up there, the worst thing I've ever done to you. Luke I never meant to hurt you. You must believe me." She said stepping back from the door as Luke opened it. "So can we talk?"

"I thought we were?" He said with sarcasm.

"No I think we need to sit down for this." She said.

"Okay." Luke looked around. "Look there's a café up the street."

"Perfect!" She said with the first sign of a smile.

Luke shut the truck door still mad at her he followed Lorelai to the café.

Lorelai sipped her coffee as Luke stirred his tea, putting the spoon down on the table. "So what happened Lorelai, I thought you were okay with April and stuff."

"Nothing like jumping right in." Lorelai said looking up at from her coffee. She shook her head slowly as she looked up fro her coffee. "No, not all the time. I was at first but you kept shutting me out of your new life. Luke we were engaged I should have been a part of your life not just a sounding board every night to hear about it, to hear about April."

"But you like April, right?" Luke asked.

"Luke I never got a chance to know her." She said. "I wanted to but you didn't let me. People in the diner met her, Lane met her, for god sake you even went to Philly and introduced her to Jess and Rory but not me Luke." She ranted starting to sob with tears coming from her eyes again.

Luke passed her Lorelai a napkin. "Sorry, still don't carry a hankie, you know why." He smiled.

"Thanks." Taking the white napkin and dabbing her eyes.

"Lorelai I didn't mean to cut you out and I'm sorry." Luke said. "I don't know what happened. When I first asked for time, to get to know April it was easy, you agreed and it was just easy. Then as the weeks went on it just fell into place."

"I just wanted to help." Lorelai said.

"I know but you know me, I had to try it myself but when I needed help you were there without question. You saved the day." Luke told her.

"Then why Luke? Was it Anna, did she tell you what to do, how to think? Did she not want me around April?" Lorelai asked dreading the answer that might come.

"You're right, it was partly Anna. But it was also me, I didn't want to loose contact with April and she holds all the cards." Luke admitted.

"Why didn't you tell Anna we're engaged?" She asked. "I mean, we were engaged." Looking down at her coffee. "She told me engaged is not married."

"Which explains the ultimatum in the street." Luke realising part of what had happened between them. "Look Lorelai I don't know why I didn't tell Anna about us. At the time I think she didn't needed to know, it was none of her business."

"Looks like we both made a mess of things." Lorelai said with a smile. "Some more than others." She added.

"And we regret our actions." Luke told her, but also asking the question.

"You have no idea how much." Lorelai said with a smile, this was going well Lorelai thought.

"Okay then, we agree." Luke returned with a tentative but welcomed smile.

There were a few moments of silence as they drank their coffee and tea.

"Lorelai, you know this is going to take time, to fix what we have." He said. "I do love you but we have a lot that has to change between use and right now I don't know if I can trust you."

"I understand." She replied. "We need to talk more about our problems, at least I hope they are 'our' problems." Highlighting the word.

"I'd like that." He said talking a final drink of tea. "I'm sorry about what I said before, in the supermarket. I though it's what you wanted to hear."

"I understand, come on we better go." Lorelai stood from her chair. "You have dinner to cook for Liz and TJ."

"Yeah, I wish I didn't have to go." He said.

"We will talk later, this is a good start Luke." She reassured him.

A few minutes later Lorelai sat in her Jeep as she watched Luke drive off. 'Good going Lorelai.' She thought as she backed out and set off back home with a smile.

TBC…

Feedback is good, should I go on.