A/N: This is it. The end. Thanks to everyone for their reviews. But don't worry, I will be writing more GG fic, so you're not rid of me yet.

Part 16

When Rory still hadn't gotten up by almost ten-thirty, Lorelai left a note on her door and headed to Luke's.

Lorelai was relieved to see that today would not be another production of Masterpiece Theater. The diner only held a few late Saturday morning customers. The bell tinkled and Luke looked up, his stern face relaxing.

"How's Rory?"

"She's...okay. She's been better."

"I'm sorry." Luke slid her a cup of coffee. "Hey, I have something for Rory. I meant to give it to her when she got back but I forgot."

"Oh Luke, you didn't have to do that." The smile Lorelai couldn't seem to hide had returned.

"It's no big deal. Its upstairs if you want to--"

"Oh! Yeah." Lorelai slipped off the stool and followed Luke up to his apartment. Crank up the rumor mill, she thought.

Luke pulled a book from his shelf—it was a navy hardback and the gilding on the front was fading but Lorelai could still make out the title. "Little Women. How did you know this was one of her favorites?"

Luke blushed. "I guessed. When you came in with Sookie and Rory one day, she could barely put it down. And a couple years later, she was reading it again. So it made sense."

Lorelai was truly touched at Luke's keen observation. "That's amazing. I can't believe you remembered that--" The words caught in her throat and she shook her head in amazement.

"I got you a little something too." He handed her a small box. She opened it carefully; inside was a gorgeous silver necklace with a small heart charm made out of blown glass.

"Luke, it's beautiful." Tears crept into the corner of her eyes. "I don't know what to say. Thank you." She breathed.

"One of Liz's friends made it. She said maybe I could find someone to give it to." Lorelai laughed. Luke took the necklace from her and placed it around her neck. He pulled her towards him as he finished, kissing the hollow between her shoulder and neck. Lorelai sighed against him and turned as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Thank you," she murmured again into his shoulder.

"You're welcome," Luke replied. "Are we okay? You seemed a little out of sorts last night."

"Oh, yeah." Lorelai thought maybe he would have forgotten. "It's just a little overwhelming sometimes. This—us. Is that just me?"

"No," Luke shook his head. He had often felt like his relationship with Lorelai was too good to be true and would be cut short when he least expected it. But he had begun to realize that he (and Lorelai) really did control their own fate. Some cosmic force wasn't going to ruin their relationship, it was theirs for the taking.

"I just feel like—like I'm about to get squished by something huge and giant that I don't see coming--"

"You're afraid of Godzilla?"

Lorelai couldn't help but smile. "No, I mean he's pretty scary but I guess—Rory's back and the town just found out—not to mention my mother knowing. For the past couple of months it was just us, and I'm a little nervous that it's too much at once. Am I crazy?"

"We'll be fine, Lorelai. I know it's not always easy, but you have me to talk to. I want you to be able to talk to me."

Lorelai nodded gratefully. "I will. Promise," she whispered. "I did pretty well right now, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did." Luke agreed, drawing her closer and rubbing her arms.

"So we better get back. Don't want to start any more rumors." Luke laughed at that and they headed back downstairs.

Lorelai was sitting out on the porch steps when Luke pulled up. Dressed in star pajama pants and a yellow shirt that read East End Club, she greeted Luke with a kiss.

"You came."

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Luke frowned.

"Because when we watched Casablanca you were all grumpy and well—yourself. And you were all paranoid about me watching you--"

"Actually that was pretty cute."

Lorelai sighed against him. "I can't believe you never told me these things."

"And if I had told you that you were gorgeous, would you have fallen at my feet?"

Lorelai batted her eyelashes. "You think I'm gorgeous, you think I'm sexy, you want to love me...." Luke looked lost.

Exasperated, Lorelai left him standing in the foyer. "Next movie night we're watching Miss Congeniality."

"And tonight?"

"Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?" Lorelai said in a high pitched voice.

"The Graduate?"

"Have you seen it?" Lorelai looked disappointed.

Luke shook his head. "Just that line. And 'Plastics.'"

"Wow, so you did pay attention in pop culture 101." Lorelai laughed.

"Where's Rory?" Luke glanced over his shoulder down the hallway, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"In Hartford. With my mother." Lorelai rolled her eyes and cocked her head, thinking. "Well, my parents presumably. I don't know."

"So you don't know if they're back together?"

"No," Lorelai shook her head.

"I'm sorry. That sucks."

"It'll get better I hope." She put on the brave face he had seen her wear so many times. "But I still have Rory. And you," she added, snuggling next to him on the couch. Luke stroked circles on her arm with his thumb as the Simon and Garfunkel opening song started the movie.

"This is good," Luke murmured a little while later.

"What? The movie? It's not to the best part yet." Lorelai frowned.

"No, this. Us." He smiled down at her. She snuggled a little bit closer and nodded.

"Yeah, it is." Luke planted a kiss on the top of her head and they went back to watching the movie. But Lorelai couldn't stop thinking of their conversation. It had always seemed to her that one part of her life was missing—she had a wonderful relationship with her daughter, she had somewhat repaired her relationship with her parents, she had a successful business, but she'd never had someone around to really support her and tell her he needed her or appreciated her. It was surprising how Luke filled that role. She couldn't even remember what it had been like before Luke, but then she realized that she'd had him in her life for years, and even before they were "together" he had told her how amazing she was and how she could raise a kid and open the inn and anything else she tried. And she liked it. Even if she couldn't be assured that the inn would bring in a profit this year or that her parents were getting along, she had this. She had Luke.