"I'm out of coffee."

"You're not out of coffee. You can't be out of coffee. That's like the bank being out of money or the mall being out of teenagers or the movie theaters being out of overrated summer movies starring Will Smith or Tom Cruise. You without coffee is like a day without sunshine."

"It's raining."

"You're trying to kill me." Lorelai slid off the stool and walked around the counter, following Luke as he walked away from her. "You're attempting to do that thing where you teach me a lesson and say it's for my own good, but it's really not my good you should be worried about. It's the good of others, because I think we're all well aware that I'm not a nice person when I haven't had my coffee." He stopped walking and she bumped into him and swallowed hard.

"You're not allowed behind the counter."

She turned away from him, doing her best not to notice the scent of him, because Luke smelled like pancakes and syrup and peach pies and not like he's just stepped out of the shower all clean and refreshed. "I know you have coffee here, and I'm going to find it."

"I'm out of coffee."

"No. There's something. Taster's Choice because you were smitten with those commercials. Or…or Folgers, because it's the best part of waking up. Or you want to fill it to the rim with Brim." She stood up and looked at him defiantly. "There is coffee here. I can smell it."

"Kirk just walked in with a cup from Al's Pancake World."

"No. I know the smell of Al's coffee. It's rank and bitter. And I will get a cup if it comes to that, but it won't come to that because," she poked him hard in the chest, "I know you have coffee."

"You've gone insane." He caught her hand to stop her from poking him again, his hand warm around hers. "They could classify you as certifiable."

"I can smell it on you." She leaned into him and sniffed his flannel shirt. "You've got coffee somewhere on these premises, Mister, and I'm not leaving until I have a giant cup of the inky stuff in my hot little hands.

"I have a white jacket with extra long arms in the back."

"Oh! Me too."

"Hush, Kirk." Luke grabbed Lorelai's arms and turned her around, guiding her toward the door to the upstairs apartment. She struggled in his grip.

"This is wrongful imprisonment. Manhandling. Cruel and unusual punishment." She put her foot down hard on the floor then lifted her legs and blocked their entrance to the stairwell. "I want my coffee!"

Luke turned so that she was facing the diner and opened the door, pulling her after him then shutting the door. "You're a nuisance."

"Not when I've had my coffee."

He sighed. "Come on." He led the way up the stairs and walked directly to his small kitchen area. He reached back to the back of the cabinet and pulled out a small, slightly dusty container of instant coffee.

"I knew it!"

He shook his head and heated some water while he spooned the remaining crystals into a mug. He poured the water over them, stirring them until they dissolved then added a dash of something to the mix. He sighed again and set it in front of her. "Happy?"

She took a sip and sighed, her face melting with bliss. "You're my hero."

"It's instant coffee."

"And it tastes horrible, but it's got the special Luke Danes touch." She got to her feet and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Get the real stuff in by this afternoon, or I'll be on the streets screaming 'Attica!'."

He shook his head as she started for the door. "Where are you going?"

"Al's. They have coffee."