Lorelai could no longer deny the fire she felt between her legs. She stared deeply into Val's eyes as they lay on the bed together. She mounted on top of Val and thrust her hands forward, cupping Val's golden breasts, and squeezed them hard, unmercifully. Val moaned in pain. Lorelai then began to grind their legs together, the friction from the soft folds of flesh pressing together like a tender box ready to explode. Val convulsed in ecstasy.

Lauren came up behind Lorelai and with one stroke of her right hand, tore Lorelai's blouse off. Lauren took out her whip - six feet of hard sinewy leather - and - WHAM - whipped Lorelai across the back. "Oooooh" Lorelai cried in pain. Lauren whipped her again. And again. Soon the bright red blood started flowing. The steely bronze dominatrix then thrust her hands around Lorelai's waist and yanked her slacks down, exposing her supple buttocks. Lauren took the handle end of the whip and thrust it into Lorelai's throbbing womanhood. She shoved it in and out, short hard strokes. The ripples of pain and pleasure tore through Lorelai's body. Lorelai could endure no more. The orgasm came with a frightening power and fury. She shrieked. Lauren eased the handle out and tasted Lorelai's love juices, savoring a nectar that even the god's had never tasted of.

Lorelai should have been a woman contented, a woman who at last had come to the end of a long journey, a woman who finally had found herself. But she wasn't. She sat atop the bed, numb, frozen. What had just happened? She stared out into empty space, and starting mumbling "No… no… no… no…" She gathered her clothes and desperately started to dress herself. With eyes like a frightened deer, she staggered towards the door. Val and Lauren took after her.

"What's wrong, Lorelai?" Val asked. Lorelai was now in tears.

"No… I'm sorry. I never should have come here. I never should have done this. This was a big mistake. I'm sorry…"

"It's okay sweetie. It's okay." There was so much love and comfort in Lauren's voice as she uttered those simple words - but not for Lorelai. Evermore distressed, she flung open the door and fled down the hallway and disappeared.

Lauren grabbed her robe.

"We've got to go after her."

"No," Val replied.

"We can't just leave her like that."

"Let's just… let's just let her be."

Val closed the door and turned to Lauren.

"How could we have been so wrong about her?"

"I don't know baby. I don't know."

* * * * *

A grim faced Val and Lauren, each with a suitcase in hand, approached Michel at the front desk.

"Room 5B, checking out," Val said.

"Oh… So soon? You've only been here since… this morning. Did you not enjoy our Inn? If there was something wrong, I am sure I could have it corrected--"

"Oh, no. The service was flawless, impeccable." Val reassured him.

"Then what is the problem?"

"Let's just say… business. A sudden business crisis came up back in New York, and we need to leave right away."

"Very well."

Michel proceeded to check them out. Val paid him and they turned to leave. Val stopped and turned back to him.

"Um, the proprietor. Lorelai she said her name was. Do you know where she is?"

"She is one of the proprietors… Early this afternoon she came rushing down the stairs in a big dramatic scene worthy of Gone With the Wind. She left in a big huff, looking quite distressed actually--"

"Um, I hate to interject," Lauren cut in, "but when Val said we didn't have any complaints about the service, actually that wasn't quite true. You know those peanuts you put on the night table next to the bed? They were really on the skimpy side--"

"Lauren, forget about the damn peanuts!"

"Hey, excuse me for offering a helpful hint."

Val whacked Lauren across the fanny. Lauren cooed. Val turned back to Michel.

"I have to give her one across the backside every now and then, keep her in line. You understand?"

"Oh, I'm beginning to." Michel took out a pen and pad and wrote on it. "So you two want Lorelai. Here is her address. She lives across town, you cannot possibly miss it."

Lauren ran up and planted a wet one across Michel's cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. Aren't you just a living doll."

"Yes, I know. Now please go away."

Val and Lauren turned to leave.

"I hope you find Lorelai, and whatever else it is that you're looking for."

"So do we, Frenchy." Lauren replied.

"'Frenchy?' You did not call me 'Frenchy!' The last person that called me that, it took the doctors six hours to remove the candlestick from his anus."

Michel charged around the desk. Val and Lauren made a beeline for the door.

"Lauren, I think we need to leave, like right now."

They hightailed it out of there.

* * * * *

The winter air was dry and bitterly cold. Val and Lauren stood on the porch of Lorelai's house, anxious. Val knocked on the front door. Nothing.

"Now Val, tell me again why I'm standing out here freezing my butt off, ready to go back to that cold gray city, when we could be in that nice warm hotel room?"

"Because after what happened, I just couldn't stay there. I couldn't."

"Look, Val, nobody's to blame. We don't even know why she left. Probably her first time. Things went further than she planned, and she got freaked out. That's all."

Lauren started banging on the door.

"Lorelai, we know you're in there! Open this damn door!… No matter how much you may not want to face it, you can't deny what happened back there."

"Oh, that should really put her at ease, champ."

Val took out a pen and paper.

"What?"

"Our address and telephone number." Val responded. "We've done all we can do here. If she wants us, she knows where to find us."

Val slid the paper under the door. As they headed back for their car, Lauren pinched Val on the butt.

"God, Lauren, you are a horny little thing, aren't you?"

"Hey, when you're sashaying your butt in front of me like that… Work it, girl."

They got in the car.

"I love you Lauren."

"I love you too Val."

They headed back for New York.

* * * * *

It was the Saturday afternoon lull at Luke's just before the big dinner rush. Luke was wiping some tables when Lorelai came in. Luke was taken aback.

"Lorelai, what's wrong? You look like--"

"I'm fine. I just need some coffee, really strong. Actually I need something a lot stronger than coffee, but this is a reputable establishment, right. It is reputable, isn't it?"

"No alcohol, Lorelai. One coffee, extra strong, coming up… And no wonder. Sheesh. Walking around without a coat in this weather. You could catch pneumonia, you know."

"Yes, father hen."

Lorelai took a seat in the back. That's when Luke saw it: the back of her blouse stained with streaks of blood. He charged over.

"What the…"

"What?"

"The back of your shirt is covered in blood!"

Lorelai buried her head in her hands. She then looked up at Luke.

"It's a long story."

"I got time."

"If I told ya, I'd have to kill ya."

Luke was not amused. Lorelai took out the piece of paper with Val and Lauren's address and phone number. Luke tried to steal a look but Lorelai pulled it away from him.

"What's that?"

"Potential. Way of life. Fork in the road. I guess you can call it a lot of things."

"Lorelai you're starting to scare me now. Maybe I should call a doctor."

Lorelai burst out laughing.

"No. I'm fine. Really. I am."

She reached across and put a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Luke, you're a good man. A kind man… You know that between me and you, the last chapter hasn't been written yet. Right?"

"Yeah. I know."

Lorelai rose.

"You haven't had your coffee yet."

"Gotta go. Actually, to New York. Unfinished business."

"New York, huh."

"Yeah."

"Well, you sure as heck know I'm not going to let you go like that."

Luke dashed around the counter and grabbed his jacket. He put it on Lorelai.

"Perfect fit."

"Yes, it is. Thank you Luke."

Lorelai kissed him on the cheek, then departed.

* * * * *

Who am I?

-- The words kept ringing through Lorelai's consciousness on the train ride to New York. They stilled echoed in her mind as she made her way through Penn Station, and caught a cab across town to Val and Lauren's apartment.

Was the person in room 5B me? Or was that some fantasy me? Was I a lesbian? Or was I just caught up in the moment, the throes of some temporary passion? Did the answers really lie here, in New York, with that wacky Lauren and her sidekick, Val? So many questions!

Lorelai stood composed in front of the door, a hard woman against a background of bright flowery pastels. She knocked on the door. She could hear the ever-nearing click of high heels as they approached the door. Her heart raced ever so slightly in anticipation. The door opened. It was Val.

"Who is it, honey?" Lauren yelled from the kitchen.

"Um… Lorelai."

Lorelai stood motionless in the doorway.

"Please. Come on in."

Val escorted Lorelai inside.

"This is a beautiful place you have here."

"Thank you… Let me get you something to drink. Coffee? Tea?"

"Coffee sounds great… nah, I better not. I can't stay long."

Lauren walked in from the kitchen. "What's the matter. You afraid of getting too comfortable?"

"C'mon, Lauren, we're all friends here."

"It's okay. Let her say her peace." Lorelai responded.

"You can bank on it."

"No," Val cut in. "Let's sit down and have some nice hot tea and muffins and hold hands and be friends. Let's not say anything we'll regret."

"Bullcrap. People saying things they regret is what makes this crazy world go round. Because when people say things they regret, they're being honest - about the only time they're honest, as far as I can see."

Lauren took a deep breath, calming herself down a little. But just a little.

"Lorelai, you know, people say a lot of things about me, most of it not very good, but whatever else people may say, they can't say I'm not honest - about my feelings, my emotions. You can't experience what we experienced in that room and just walk away like none of it never happened! You just don't do things like that. And by the way, just why did you tear out of there like a bat out of hell?"

"I don't know."

"Forgive me if I sound mad as hell, because I am mad as hell. I'm hurt. It hurt to see you just up and walk out like that."

"I know it did."

"I thought me and you had something special. A connection. I never would have done what I did if I hadn't felt that. Was it the pain--"

"I loved it."

"Then what? Were you running from me?"

"No. Of course not."

"From being a lesbian? From having people think you might be a lesbian?"

"No. I'm not afraid of being a lesbian. My daughter is married to another woman for God's sake."

Lauren raised an eyebrow.

"It's just that… See, Lorelai, a lot of damage has been done to this city."

"I know, Lauren."

"The people."

"I know."

"I've… I've suffered a lot."

"… Oh my God… You were in the Twin Towers…"

"I can't talk about that now… See the thing is, the one thing I've learned is that life is so precious. Every moment has to be lived. Why are you afraid to live your life Lorelai?"

Lorelai didn't know what to say. Val came up behind Lorelai and wrapped her arms around her.

"I don't think she's afraid. It's what she talked about before, her daughter being married. There's someone else. Isn't there, Lorelai?"

A spark of awareness overcame Lorelai. She turned and faced Val. She gently shook her head yes.

"That's it. Isn't it?" Val asked.

"Yes."

"You want to tell us about this person?"

"Just that this person is very special… Lauren, you would really like this person."

Lorelai turned towards the door.

"No, stay the night. You can go back tomorrow morning. Our home is your home."

"No, Val, I really need to be going."

"I'm going to miss you Lorelai."

"I'm going to miss you too."

Val and Lorelai kissed, their tongues dancing together. Val escorted her to the door.

"Did you find what you came here for?"

"Yeah. I think so."

Val motioned to Lauren.

"C'mon, Lauren, get over here. Where's the love?"

Lauren refused to budge, her face hard and implacable.

"Hell hath no fury like a dominatrix scorned."

"I guess so." Lorelai added.

Val hugged Lorelai a final time.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Lorelai left.

* * * * *

The train heading back to Connecticut rocked back and forth as the cold gray steel and glass monuments of New York began to fade in the distance. Lorelai stared at her reflection in the window. What looked back at her was one of quiet contentment.

She now knew why she had fled room 5B: Luke. Val had guessed right. Luke was the someone in her life that took precedence over everyone else. There was just too much unfinished business between them for her to commit fully to this new part of herself that had found such fruition in room 5B.

Lorelai knew that she was a woman who was growing, changing. She knew she was a lesbian. But that's not all she was. There was so much more to her that she wanted to explore. The thing she knew most of all though is that whatever she decided, whether to be with Luke or to explore this new side of herself, it would be her decision. The controlling fear that had guided her life since she turned down Rebecca Kingston's advances so many years ago no longer had power over her. She was a woman who was determined to live her life, for better or worse. She would never again be haunted by the memory of roads not taken.

The End