A/N: Here is the prologue to a new story that I have been tossing around. I hope that you will like it!

Dangling By a Thread

The day of Rory's graduation from Chilton

Luke ran up the porch steps, and began to pound on her door. When he got no response, he tried the handle, but for once, it was locked. For a moment, he considered which of the dozens of ways he knew of to break into her house he should use, but his thoughts were interrupted by Babette calling to him, "I think they're still at the thing, Doll." Luke turned in her direction, but said nothing, just raising his hand in acknowledgement. Babette smiled and waved, turning back toward her door, and then stopping as she called back to him, "Was it a nice ceremony?"

"Yeah," he called back in a slightly hoarse voice. "Very nice."

"Good, well, we'll see you at the party later," Babette said as she waved again and then closed the door behind her.

Mindless of the fact that he was still in his dress clothes Luke sank down onto the top step and buried his face in his hands. He could see her perfectly; her red dress swirling around her legs as she closed the diner door, her dark hair brushing her shoulders, her swell of her breasts as she tried to catch her breath long enough to say what she wanted to say.

Don't get engaged.

He knew it was just a dream. He knew that she didn't actually say that, but he also knew that the dream had happened for a reason. That reason had been there bubbling under the surface for months now. He had tried to ignore it. He had tried to shove it down, lock it away and throw away the key, but once again, like a thousand times before, it was this close. This close to being all or nothing. This close to going for broke. This close to knowing once and for all if it was meant to be.

He heard the crunch of gravel under tires and looked up as the Jeep pulled to a stop in its usual spot. Lorelai opened the driver's door and smiled when she saw the hunched figure on her porch. "Hey, if we knew you were coming we'd have baked a cake," she called to him.

"Are you trying to poison him?" Rory asked as she closed the passenger door.

"Well, I would have had Sookie do the actual baking," Lorelai said as they crossed the yard. She looked at Luke with a concerned frown, taking in his disheveled clothes and the short hair that stuck up in little tufts where his hands had raked trough it. "Are you okay?" she asked as they reached the steps.

Luke stared at her for a moment and then said in a voice rough with urgency, "I need to talk to you."

Rory glanced uneasily between her mother and Luke and then stepped up onto the bottom step. "I'll just go get changed and ready for the party," she said in a nervous tone.

Luke stood up as she passed, brushing his sweaty palms over his suit pants as he cleared his throat and said, "You did great today, Rory."

Rory smiled and gave his arm and awkward pat as she passed. "Thanks, Luke. And thanks again for coming," she said as she hurried for the door. She tried the handle, and blinked in surprise when she found it locked.

Rory turned back to Lorelai with a questioning stare, but her mother simply shrugged and said, "Sometimes the mood strikes me," and tossed her keys to her.

Lorelai waited until Rory had closed the door behind her before she looked up at Luke and said, "What's going on?"

Luke stepped down one step and said, "You tell me."

Lorelai reared back a little at his terse tone and asked, "Uh, Rory graduated today? We're getting ready to leave for Europe?" She paused for a beat before adding, "Um, you're going to be boarding the Love Boat?" When he said nothing, but crossed his arms over his chest, staring at her intently, Lorelai began to fidget under his scrutiny. "Hey, be sure that you tell Isaac, and Julie and Doc 'hi' for me and tell them I miss seeing them every week. Charo does too, because she's had a whole boatload of nothin' to do since that show when off the air," she babbled.

"Lorelai," he said impatiently.

"What? You're the one who came by to play guessing games," she said defensively as she stepped onto the bottom step, avoiding his eyes.

"You've been playing guessing games with me for months now. Hell, years," he said, getting angry. "I think it's my turn," he said snidely.

"I don't know why you're mad at me," she said, looking up at him with a confused shake of her head.

"Don't you?" Luke asked as he stepped down another step, his eyes fixed on her. When she looked away, he said in a low voice, "You know damn well what I meant."

"What you meant about what?" Lorelai asked plaintively.

"Everything," he answered succinctly.

"Everything what?" Lorelai asked, her impatience rising to meet his.

"When I asked you about the cruise, and Nicole, and committing," he said gesturing with his hand.

"What about it," she answered with a tinge of anger. "Do you need my permission?"

"I don't know, do I?" he asked bluntly. "Considering everything, Lorelai?"

"Everything what?" she cried out in frustration.

"You know what I meant!" he shouted, staring down at her. "Everything that has been going on, or not going on, or almost going on between us these last few months," he said angrily. "I'm not imagining it. It's not just all in my head, so don't try to Gaslight me," he warned as he pointed a finger at her. When Lorelai stared up at him with her mouth agape, but no sound coming from it, Luke shook his head and said firmly, "I have to know."

"Know what?" she whispered in a bewildered tone.

"I need you to tell me once and for all, considering everything," he said slowly. Luke took a deep breath, looking her straight in the eye as he asked, "Yes or no? Do you want me to go on this cruise with Nicole?"