AN: READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE AN APOLOGY

Yes, I know chances are most of you are extremely shocked to find an update from me; don't fiddle with your screen or rub your eyes, you aren't seeing things, this is an actual update.

Now this is the time where I gravel for forgiveness; I never meant for this too take so long but I got caught up in writing other stories . . . then I stopped writing altogether. I've just been so busy! High school for lack of a better word simply sucks, not only do they give you a truck loaded of homework during the school year but they precede to pile it on over the summer! That and I've had quite a hectic schedule the last few months; they are all factors contributing to my absence but they are not an excuse. I felt I owed it to my readers (maybe more to my reviewer who always with out fail seem to put a smile on my face and help encourage me to get up of my lazy ass and continue my story) to write another chapter.

Summary: What happens when Luke and Lorelai get stuck in the diner together on account of the snow? Read and fine out. Please read and review this story depends on it! Also I like it when people review it makes me feel happy inside. So if u want to make my day review, Please! :D

Disclaimer: if they were mine do you really think the show would have ended like it did? . . . to spell it out for you i don't own anything . . .damn.

Well I've taken up enough words of this particular update so without further a due I present to all who have stuck with me for this long, chapter 16.

Chapter 16: At The Twist of Midnight

It was 6:30 that night, Lorelai and Rory where hurrying to finish getting ready; the annual town New Years Eve Bash started at 7:00 (and with Miss Patty's punch was sure to continue on until the early hours of the morning, ending just in time for many of the guests to head over to Luke's in search of a warm breakfast and coffee to help with the hangovers that came complimentary of the punch).

"Hey mom?" Rory called up the stairs.

"Yeah?" Lorelai hollered back.

"Have you seen my sparkly bracelet?"

"If you mean the black one, then yes."

"Great where is it?" Rory questioned.

"I'm wearing it." Lorelai said with a slight cringe.

"Mom!" came Rory's exasperated reply.

"Don't worry, it's yours for the night, I'll get something else."

"Thank you," Rory said "and it's always mine," she called as an after thought.

"Hey, I thought I taught you to share!" Lorelai called back as she began a frantic search for her left shoe only to find it atop her dresser.

"Nope, sorry you must have been mistaken."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive mom, now hurry up or we're going to be late."

"Have I taught you nothing?" Lorelai questioned as she began her descent down the stairs. "First the sharing and now this? You always want to be fashionably late to make a grand entrance." Lorelai finished with a small flourish as her foot hit the last step.

"Yes, but Luke will kill you if you leave him alone with the crazy towns people for too long."

"Good point, here is your bracelet, and may I say you look simply ravishing darling, ravishing." Lorelai informed her daughter who was wearing a dress with a black corset type top with one inch think straps connected to a full red skirt that ended just at the knee. The necklace Luke gave her for Christmas, small heart earrings, black heal and her read coat complete the ensemble.

"Thanks." Rory replied as she handed her mother her coat, "You don't look too bad yourself mom." Lorelai had on a creamy white dress that was fitted up top with a skirt that cascaded an inch or two below her knees. Lorelai too was wearing Luke's Christmas gift to her, had on stud diamond earrings, cream colored shoes to match her dress, and a coat a slightly darker shade of cream.

"Okay let's go." They where in the small entrance hall when Lorelai thought of something. "Hey where's Chris?" she questioned looking around; Lorelai hadn't seen him since that morning.

Rory, who shared her mother's puzzled look and glanced around the room, answered "I'm not sure, the last time I saw Dad was when we left for Luke's and the Inn."

Lorelai still feeling a tad suspicious decided to drop the matter for the time being. "We'll find him later, but now it's time for the party." Lorelai said with a smile.

Rory cracked a large grin as well, "hey," she began laughing slightly to herself "do you think Kirk will try to kiss Taylor again at midnight this year?"

"Oh we can only hope." Lorelai stated, as she closed the door behind herself and Rory.

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The New Year's Eve Bash had been going strong for nearly five hours, and showed no signs of letting up after the New Year, which would be rung in less than ten minutes.

Lorelai waddled through the crowded room towards Luke. "Hey," She greeted with a smile.

Luke returned her smile and her greeting.

"So I was thinking since there are so many prying eyes in here how about you meet me outside in five minutes for our New Year's kiss?" Lorelai asked, her smile never faltering.

Luke gave a small chuckle, "I'll see you in five minutes."

Lorelai's grin grew as she turned and slipped unnoticed out the door. She walked down the steps of Miss Patty's dance studio and away from the party. She stopped a good distance away but was still confident that Luke wouldn't miss her when he came looking.

Less than a minute had passed when Lorelai heard foot falls approaching. She grinned. "I thought you were going to wait five minutes? Couldn't resist could-", her words came to and abrupt stop when she turned to find not Luke but Chris walking towards her.

"Chris?" she questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you Lor. So I could kiss you at midnight." He informed her as he leaned closer.

Lorelai took a hesitant step back. "Are you drunk?" she gaped, having smelt the alcohol on his breath.

Chris didn't answer; he only gave a small laugh as he stepped closer and grabbed her arm.

Lorelai's eyes widened. "Damn it, you are. Let go of me right now Chris." She said forcefully.

Something finally dawned on Chris. "You where waiting for someone weren't you?" there was anger in his voice and his grip grew tighter.

Lorelai didn't answer, she adverted her eyes "Let go of me," she told him again.

Chris followed her gaze, his own eyes resting on the diner. "You were waiting for him, weren't you?" Chris jerked his head in the direction of the diner. "You where waiting for that diner man!" Chris spat out, his tone becoming laced with bitterness.

"Leave now Chris. I don't want Rory seeing you like this," Lorelai ordered him as she attempted to pull away from his hold.

Chris only became more forceful and grabbed both her shoulders. "We're supposed to be a family; you, me and Rory, not that diner guy." Chris sneered.

An appalled look flashed across Lorelai's face. "Luke is more a family to Rory and me than you ever were; he's more a family to us then you'll ever be!" She shot at him, her voice rising.

Anger was boiling in both their eyes. She tried to push away only to have Chris push her back. Lorelai stumbled backward; her heal slipped on a patch of ice sending her plummeting to the ground. A sickening crack sounded when her body crumpled against the cold pavement. Chris's bewildered expression turned to one of shock and horror when he realized what he had done.

"Lorelai!" Luke yelled when he saw her fall. Luke, who had been walking when he left Miss Patty's moments ago, was now at a full out sprint to reach Lorelai. He dropped to his knees beside her.

"Luke." She said softly, tears glistening in her eyes. The look of pain etched on her fetchers was enough to break Luke's heart.

Chris stood there frozen as Luke tended to Lorelai "Where are you hurt?" Luke asked his voice full of concern.

"My ankle." She said as a tear slipped down her cheek. "It really hurts Luke; I can't move it."

Luke nodded as he carefully lifted her up in a fire fighters carry, taking precaution not to upset the surely broken left ankle. Lorelai rested her head on Luke's shoulder the occasional tear slipping free from her eyes.

Luke now face to face with Chris couldn't hold in his anger any longer. "What the hell's your problem?" Luke bellowed. "I don't want to see you anywhere near Lorelai or Rory right now! You better get the hell out of here, and if you ever hurt one of my girls again, so help me" Luke cut off his emotions running so high that he couldn't express how he felt in words. Lorelai was sure Luke would have punched Chris square in the jaw had he not been holding her.

For a second it looked as if Chris was going to say something before he turned and stormed off like the coward he was.

"Mom!" Rory called, drawing Luke and Lorelai's attention to the crowd that had formed outside Miss Patty's when the yelling had started. Rory finished pushing past people and jogged the short distance from the mob to where Luke stood with Lorelai. "What happened?" she asked concerned.

Luke looked at Lorelai; he knew it was her place to tell Rory what had really happened when the time was right. He could tell now wouldn't be the best time, and so could Lorelai.

"Your old mom slipped," she said.

"Broke her ankle," Luke stated. "I'm taking her to the hospital."

"I'm coming." Rory quickly and firmly stated.

Luke nodded he had expected as much. "Lorelai can you grab the keys out of my left pocket?" Luke asked softly.

She did so and handed them to Rory who proceeded to unlock Luke's truck. Rory climbed into the cramped back seat of the old pickup and Luke placed Lorelai in the passenger seat before getting in himself and driving off; leaving a whole mess of tipsy and confused townsfolk in their wake as the clock struck midnight.

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I sincerely hope you enjoyed this latest installment and found it up to par with the rest of my work, seeing how I wrote it at 3 in the morning. Well you know the drill; reviews make the world go round, so make my world go round and leave a review! Come on, share the love :D Copper boom!

I hope to be back soon with a new chapter, I have no intentions of giving up this story I'm with it through the long hall, it just might take a little more time then I had expected.

Hoping to write more soon,

Your (extremely sorry) fellow author,

Lazy-Dayz