Worth by netherfield [Gen]
The early days of Lorelai and Rory in Stars Hollow, grouped by the current amount of money Lorelai can afford to spend and or the cost of things. It's very, very sweet, and references The Velveteen Rabbit. This is the only Young Rory I've read so far who is believable and not cloying-- she's sweet, she's Rory, and she is definitely Lorelai's daughter, but she's not two-dimensional, regardless of her age. Very solid, very sweet, with an excellent ending.

31 December 1995 by Lula Bo [Gen]
I'm not keen on New years' fics, okay? They're all pretty static and repetitive, but this one wasn't because, hell, Rory and Lane are there and they're like, what, ten, elleven years old? Imagine spending your new years with two ten year olds! And Luke-- whom you don't know very well.

A Late-Night Cup of Coffee by CIAchick [Gen]
This is good, very... I don't want to say "normal", but it's got this believability-factor going for it that's hard to describe. It's straight-forward but not predictable. It's just...nice? But nice in a different way from something that makes you want to like, eat milkshakes and hang out in bed all day. Nice in a way that it just is and you don't have to think about it.

I think that was the worst rec I've ever given. -_-;

Scene From a Diner, 1990 by Cadence Daly [Gen]
Part of the reason this is so good is the young-Rory/Lorelai interaction, which is hillarious and totally believable (minus one little thing you won't really notice, I think) but I think the big hit is Luke talking to Rory, -- really talking to her-- for the first time. Rory is very serious, but still Lorelai's daughter, and Luke is somehow awkward and awesome with her at the same time. It's really stellar.

Luke/Lorelai

Fixing It by Netherfield [Genish, Luke/Lorelai-ish]
This is a kind of insert into an episode, "Nag Hammadi is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospel" [the broken window]. It's just... very simple, and nice, but it's lovely in a kind of quiet way. I just felt good reading it. No real changes to the series.

Then the Silence by Netherfield [Luke/Lorelai]
Episode-fill again, this time with the bells. ["In the Clamor and the Clangor"] This one, however, does change the series, (a little!) but it's very solid, has that loose-running feeling of the show while still keeping everything tied together. It pulls little things all together and just-- it's neat, how she does that. Like Lorelai muttering, "Now you'll never buy the cow". I haven't seen that episode in ages, but snap! There it was in my head, Emily blathering on about Cows and Milk and-- well, you'll laugh, and you'll like it.

Shaking in her Shoes by Aliarose [Luke/Lorelai]
Fun and terrifying, all at once! This is kind of how you imagine the first date being for them, at least from Lorelai's perspective-- it's skewed deliberately, and it's funny. The shoes, the shoes--

They Just Don't See It by Bobwire [Luke/Lorelai]
This was fun! The dialogue was excellent, the goofiness and seriousness and problems are all there and just melding together quite nicely. It picks up immediately after the return from the first trip to Europe, and spins off from there into something fun. ^^ Fun but serious! ....It's like the show, okay? It's like the show.

Five Free Hours by eponine119 [Luke/Lorelai]
Okay, when they had that birthday episode and I found out that every year Luke gives Lorelai five free hours of housework and chores? I was golden. I was ecstatic. The show did things with that you never expect to see on western tv-- sneaky, subtle show-don't-tell things that I just adored. So this is kind of like that, only sneaky and entirely for fun instead of anything else. Yes, yes, it's goofy, and silly. And FUN. Each chapter is one "hour".

Fall by eponine119 [Luke/Lorelai]
The more I look at this girl's name, the more I want to play Zelda. It's KILLING me.
This is kind of soft, but not at the same time. I'm not sure how to explain it, except that it involves Audrey Hepburn's ghost.

Night and Day by Netherfield [Luke/Lorelai]
Okay, so the first "may 5" bit confused me-- skip it if you need to, scroll down to the eight weeks part and read from there if you have to. But the point is, you've got to read this! It's sneaky and snarky and long and involved and full of goodness. There's banter and lots of plot and ...it's good, okay?

Take Whatever You Can Get by Kieyra [Luke/Lorelai]
I almost caved and posted these recs last night just because of this fic! This almost tipped me over the edge! It's an excellent piece, a kind of alt.reality for the series, because while so much is the same, it's also different, but just enough. The thing with Luke's Dad ties it all together smoothly, and the ending hit me in the gut. Lovely. Also, read the accompanying fic (unfinished! But lovely regardless), Filling In The Blanks.

Pact like Sardines by Connecticut Junkie [Genish- Luke/Lorelai-ish]
Yes, the pun is intentional, and witty! Takes place in the Poe episode. "Like heartburn, Lorelai also strikes without warning in the middle of the night". XD

Hot Cross Buns by Mala [Onesided Luke/Lorelai]
And this, Ladies & Gentlemen, is what tipped me over the edge into posting today. Luke has these hillarious dreams that he can't get rid off, and they always end with him falling out of bed and hitting the floor. The writing jumps between realistic and unrealistic dream sequences that at first seem just like something else happening, and what actually happens. Hillarity, sadness, sweetness-- it's all there, and it's lovely, and again-- the last line hit me in the gut.

The Things She Knows by Lula Bo [Luke/Lorelai]
Short, smooth, takes place the day of Liz's wedding and is...fuzzy? Kind of detached but not, loose but focused? It's weird, a little hard to explain, but I enjoyed it-- the ending is nice and open.


Any Other Day by Legal Blonde [Luke/Lorelai]
Ha! This was funny. The first few things aren't real, but they're funny. The real things after that are also funny, but sweet, kind of awkward.

Not While The Toaster is Watching by Legal Blonde [Luke/Nicole, Luke/Lorelai]
This is fantastic! When I read the summary, I thought it would be a funny piece, but it's not-- it's serious and sad and draws some neat lines between Nicole and Lorelai that I hadn't even thought of or expected until then. Very neat. "The one thing he can't say, and he knows it: because the toaster will see us."

Of Order Pads and Open Shirts by KinoFille [Luke/Lorelai]
Terrible, terrible title! AGH! Makes me want to rename it, and it's not even mine! But while this is kind of cheezy and a little bit awkward, it's also got some good stuff going for it, so give it a shot anyway. Just pretend it's "untitled" or something. ~_~

See Me by KinoFille [Luke/Lorelai]
Aw, Luke's first night in jail. Well, a police station, anyway. We never see Lorelai pick Luke up, just the later driving part, but while that was all very serious, I kind of like this abuse of jailbird humour and movie lines that get tossed about. It's an almost violent humour! At any rate, this could have been an awesome stand-alone as just the first chapter with a nice, witty ending, but it moves on to other things to fill out ten chapters that are not half bad.

Putting it Back Together Again by KinoFille [Luke/Lorelai]
Alternate to the window-fixing episode. Really, just what you'd expect and again, while this girl isn't as good as some of the others, she has a lot of potential going for her.

Swing and Sway by My Only Carriage [Luke/Lorelai]
Poor Luke! He's been together with Lorelai for a year since the opening of the Dragonfly, and still he gets all embarrassed. That's not what this is about though (though that little bit made me laugh). It's actually a much smoother piece about something else entirely. Very lovely. You'll really like it, I promise. ^^ But really, what I loved most about this? The potatoes. “Don’t listen to him; he’s being a grumpy old man.” She coos at the potato in question.

The Fall by Steph5 [Luke/Lorelai-ish, Gen]
Okay, I didn't actually read this for the LL. That was okay and all, not half bad, but what actually kept me reading was the compromise Lorelai and Jess achieve. Because, okay, Jess is a bit of a delinquint. But he's also a lot like Rory & Lorelai, and if Rory can get along with him, Lorelai sure as hell can. That's what totally won me over.

Get it On The Table by The Moon Bar [Luke/Lorelai]
This is nice-- unusual, actually for something I'd rec. [Oh no! I'm all static and predictable! Oh well.] It's just...a really nice pull-together of a lot of elements from the show with a good, open ending.

I Don't Know Why Sometimes I Get Frightened by Shaye [Luke/Lorelai]
Ugh, another bad title. The content is good, though. The basic premise was a first date where everything, and I mean everything goes wrong. We're talking things and people being lit on fire, boobs popping out where you totally don't expect them and general madness, mayhem and distaster. But damn me if it isn't a good time. XD

The Second Time They First Met by Avery [Luke/Lorelai]
Very Lorelai, very good. Lorelai doesn't like the way they first met sets things up. She actually prefers to think of the second time they met as the first time they met. And this is why.