Summary: This is an AU based on the scene in the dinerin the episode "Rory's Birthday Parties" in season 1. This is my first fanfic! Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

From Band-Aids to Candles

Luke couldn't believe he was buying party candles. He hadn't bought anything this cheery and pink, ever. He walked out of the market shaking his head. He fiddled with his backwards baseball cap as he walked back to his diner. He looked at the box of party candles as he made his way through the diner. Stupid pink box with four different languages on it. Why do they put so many languages on it? This is America, if you're going to live here speak English! He shook his head and focused on the task at hand.

He was now in the kitchen and was standing in front of the coffee cake he made earlier. He opened the "stupid pink box", pulled out a few candles, and stuck them in the cake. He then carried the cake out to the diner and put it on the table with the balloons on it. He had blown them up earlier and wrote "Happy Birthday" on one and "Sweet Sixteen" on the other. After he had everything all situated he glanced at the clock. Rory would be there any minute. She came in everyday before school. He walked back to the counter and took his place behind it just as the bell above the diner door rang. He looked up quickly and saw… Kirk.

Luke sighed as Kirk walked up to the counter.

"What can I get for you, Kirk?"

"I'm not sure," said Kirk, "I think I want a cheeseburger, but I'm not sure if that's healthy." Luke just looked at him.

"See, I've been trying to eat healthier because I hear if you do you will live longer." Kirk continued, "So, I was thinking, well, meat is healthy right? But then with that whole mad cow thing, I don't know if I should risk it. And I also hear that cheeseburgers can have a lot of fat in them, and that's not healthy, plus I don't want to get fat." Luke was starting to get impatient.

"Do you want a burger or not, Kirk?" he asked.

"How much fat would you say is in your burgers?" Kirk asked, totally oblivious to Luke's growing irritation.

"I don't know Kirk, just the right amount."

"Ok, I guess I can have a burger then."

"Good. What do you want on it?"

"How does your supplier grow their onions?" Kirk asked, "Do they use any chemicals or fertilizers that could have harmful substances in them?"

"Kirk!" Luke yelled, resisting the urge to just kick him out. Kirk put up his hands in defense.

"Sorry, lettuce and tomato, please," Kirk said timidly.

"Your order will be ready shortly," Luke said as he ripped the order form off the pad and put it on the ledge between the diner and kitchen. Kirk walked away and sat at a table. Luke grabbed a rag and began to scrub the counter as he waited for Rory.

He looked up and glanced out the window that looked across the town square. He saw Rory and her friend Lane walking across the square towards the diner. He hastily walked over to the table with the cake on it, grabbed his lighter from the pocket of his flannel shirt, and lit the candles. Some of the other customers in the diner, including Kirk, gave him curious glances. He ignored them, just like he always ignores the "crazies" in this town, as he walked back behind the counter. As he waited for Rory to get to the diner he thought about the first time he met her.

It was about ten years ago and Rory was only six years old. He was working in the diner, just like very other day, when he glanced out the window. He saw a young girl with long brown hair riding her bicycle. She was doing really well when, all of the sudden, she hit the curb and crashed. Luke rushed outside and crouched down next to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worriedly.

"My knee hurts," she whimpered while clutching her knee. "I think it's bleeding."

"Can I see?" he asked.

"Ok," she said and slowly pulled her hands away. It wasn't too bad, just a little scrape but it would need a Band-Aid. Luke stood up and offered her his hand.

"Let's get you inside and clean that up, ok?"

"Ok," she said and grasped his hand. He gently pulled her up and they walked into the diner.

"Come here," he said as he walked behind the counter. He picked her up and set her on the counter. He then wet a rag and dabbed her knew with it.

"What's your name?" Luke asked.

"Rory," she answered in a quiet voice.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Rory. My name is Luke." She just smiled. Luke grabbed the first aid kit from under the counter and pulled out some Band-Aids.

"Do you have any pink ones?" she asked.

"I don't think so," he said as he pulled out a regular old tan one and put it on her knee.

"Oh," she said somewhat disappointed. Luke noticed.

"How would you like a piece of pie?" he asked. Her big blue eyes lit up.

"Really?" Luke nodded.

"Ok!" Luke lifted her down and she walked around the counter and climbed onto a stool. Luke lifted the lid off of the pie holder and pulled out a piece. He put it on a plate with a fork and slid it over to her.

"Thank you, Luke!" she exclaimed as she dug into the pie. Luke smiled at her.

After that first day they met, she came into the diner a lot more and even brought her mom in to meet Luke, "her knight in shining flannel." There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her. She was like a daughter to him, although he would probably never admit that.

The bell above the diner door rang and shook Luke out of his memory. Rory and Lane walked in and over to the counter and started to sit down.

"You can't sit here," Luke said, surprised by the nervousness in his voice.

"Why not?" Rory asked, with a questioning look.

"Because the cake I made for you and the stupid balloons I blew up for you are over at that table," he said, regaining his composure and pointing to the table. Rory looked to where he was pointing and saw the cute display.

"Aw, you made me a cake?" she said. "You're just a big softy, aren't you."

"Five more seconds and it's gone," he said in a slightly teasing tone, although he would never admit that either.

"I'm gone," she said. She smiled as she and Lane walked over to the table. Luke watched with a small grin on his face as she made a wish and blew out the candles.

"Order up!" Caesar, the cook, yelled. Luke, still with that grin on his face, grabbed the plate and carried it over to Kirk's table.

"Can I get balloons too?" Kirk asked.

"Shut up, Kirk."