[Cedric]

So...
Der neue Teil, aber erst noch einmal reFB fuer Tina:
Es war ein Birthdaypresent. So teuer war diese Karten nicht, ich glaube 30 $ per stueck...Ich habe das Konzert auch gut verkraftet...war ganz okay. Habe es mir schlimmer vorgestellt...anyway..

Ich muss euch leider sagen, es gibt wieder einen cliffhanger...dabei wollte ich keinen, aber sonst waere der Teil soo lange geworden....also nicht schimpfen (bitte!!)


alright, the first chapter. It's for Tina because I want her to forgive me..


Chapter 1: Why oh why?


Luke awoke with a start. First, he didn’t know what waked him up but then, he realized the telephone was ringing. He hurried to get up. Maybe this was important...
A floor further down, Rory, too jumped out off her bed to get the call.
But they were both too late because at that moment, the answering-machine sprang to life:
"Hi, this is Lorelai and Luke Danes and sometimes Rory. Well, we’re not here right now, so just leave us a message, or if you are my mother, just drop it. Beep."
Luke and Rory stopped dead in their tracks. Both of them had totally forgotten about that message. Now Luke stood immobile on the stairs and Rory three meters away in the hallway. They stared at the phone, paralyzed, unable to click out her voice... The voice, they last heard 7 days ago.
"Rory? Lucas? Come on, pick up. I know, you’re there.", Mia’s voice appeared in the air,
"Okay", she continued after a little break, "I just wanted to say that I’m on my way to Stars Hollow to come and help you, okay? I’ll be there in about seven hours. Okay, see you then and...", she faltered, then she said, "I’m sorry."
Luke slowly recovered from the shock of hearing Lorelai’s voice again and went down to get to his daughter. She, too, looked shock-frozen. Luke knew exactly, how she was feeling. The truth came crushing down on her at that moment, just like it had yesterday on him. Rory just left the house for an hour or something to do food shopping but it was long enough for Luke to realize, he was alone and lonely. The silence around him reminded him that she was gone...

Softly, Luke hugged Rory. It was a long hug. As Luke wanted to break away from her, Rory refused to let him go.
"Okay... still hugging", Luke said carefully and embraced her even tighter.
It felt kind of good. Knowing that there was somebody to rely on and the other way around.
Yesterday, Rory was the one, who had to be strong as Luke had the breakdown. She had pulled him up from the cold floor and walked him to bed. Luke was very grateful that she did that.
Obviously, now he had to collect himself to help her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks now.
"Why, Luke, why?", she sobbed, "I don’t understand. It makes absolutely no sense. Why did she?"
Luke felt lost, he didn’t know what to say to comfort her. He also had no clue, why his wife did it. He racked his brains for days now but he couldn’t think of any reason.
"I don’t know, I just don’t know, Rory. I am so sorry."

After a few more minutes, Rory finally got hold onto herself and Luke offered to make them breakfast but both of them just picked at their pancakes. Neither of them spoke one single word during the whole day. They just sat around, staring at the walls, at their hands, at each other.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Luke got up and opened the front-door. Mia stood outside and looked very pale and concerned.
"I came as soon as I heard. Why didn’t you call me?", she asked, while she hugged her favorite diner owner in the world.
"Sorry. We just had other things on our minds, Mia", Luke said and let her in.
After she gave Rory a hug, the three of them sat down at the kitchen-table.
"Are you okay, you two? I’m sorry, I’m being stupid, of course you’re not. But we have to be practical right now. You have everything you need here? Food, drinks and stuff?", Mia asked.
Luke and Rory just nodded absently.
"Be practical?", Luke thought by himself, "I can’t even think straight."
"What about the Dragonfly? Who’s in charge there right now?"
Rory and Luke looked at each other. They didn’t even think one moment about it. About that inn that had been Lorelai’s dream forever. And as this dream was fulfilled, she was so happy like she never had been before. On the test-run, she finally discovered her love for Luke and since then, everything had just been perfect. Of course, they had difficulties like every other couple but they withstood everything – and together.

And this was exactly the reason why Luke didn’t understand. What in the world could have been so wrong that there was no other way. Luke just didn’t know.
"Erm", Rory put forward, "Honestly, I haven’t thought about it, yet. But I’m sure, Sookie or Michel found a solution."
Mia nodded slightly and said something but Rory already was buried in other thoughts again. She tried to recall the last phone call, she had with her mother. She had needed a distraction from her essay for her Lit.-Class at Yale, so consequently she called Lorelai. Rory immediately had had the feeling that something was wrong with her but she didn’t think it was this bad. And that her mother could work it out, just like usually. But obviously, this time, she hadn’t been able to. Nevertheless, Rory just couldn’t understand why Lorelai hadn’t told anybody about it. Not her. Not Luke. Just nobody...
Mia distracted her thoughts,
"I’ll drive to the inn, to see whether I can help with something. Wanna go with me?"
Rory agreed but Luke just shook his head.
"No, I’ll stay here. Get things organized..."
"Are you sure?", Mia and Rory asked simultaneous, looking sceptical. Especially Rory did, remembering the last time she left Luke alone.
"I’m fine. Go", Luke stated.
So, Rory and Mia left the house to drive towards the inn. Luke had to admit, he hadn’t been honest with them. But he just couldn’t go there. If he would see that threshold of the Dragonfly right now, his heart would break completely. All these memories...

"What you doing?, Lorelai had asked him.
"Would you just stand still?", he had answered and then he had leaned forward to kiss her.

This moment had been the beginning of his life. From that moment on, Luke just lived for her. And she had lived for him...
No way that Luke could go there. Maybe he never would do it again.
He tried to divert his thoughts and organized the household, just like he had promised Mia and Rory. He cleaned up the dishes, cleaned up the inevitable mess in the living-room and then he went out to get the mail. He hadn’t cleared it for days... Seven days to be exactly.
But it was just the usual. Bills, postcards from distant relations. But as he reached the last letter, his heart missed one beat.
In a familiar handwriting stood his name. Just his name, no address, no stamp was on it. Just his name: Luke.

Slowly, he walked back into the house, his eyes still fixed on the letter. Inside, he went upstairs into his bedroom, sat down on the bed and smoothed the letter. Turned it inside out and upside down. He needed a few moments to realize, what he was holding in his hands. Time to get grip onto himself.
Then, finally, he slowly, carefully and trembling opened the envelope.