Disclaimer – Do not own Gilmore girls.
A/N – Okay, I have been and probably always will read a lot of fanfics were Lorelai is off with one of her men and Luke is sadly left in the dark to think about how he could never be good enough for her. Frankly it makes me sad cause any sane person can see what an amazing catch Luke is and I think he needs to have his turn, enter Noah. She's my own character and I'm just going to play around a bit and maybe see if we can't pull some of those small amounts jealousy we saw when Rachel and Nicole where around and make em a little more intense out of Lorelai. Hope you enjoy, and don't worry this will eventually be a Java cuz lets face it they're meant to be.
A/N2 – This is set somewhere in the fourth season, after the divorce but before Luke can see her face.
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Noah Pierce couldn't believe the curveballs that life had thrown her. She had had the most unusual life. Her father a general in the army had moved her and her sisters and brothers over two dozen times growing up.
Now at thirty-five years old, she regretted only one thing in this life, of all the things she
Could regret there was just one thing, and that was leaving the small enchanted town of Stars Hollow Connecticut.
Since she was fifteen Noah had never forgotten storybook Stars Hollow, or its crazy inhabitants. Until Stars Hollow the longest her family had been stationed in one place was nine months. Then they'd hit that crazy little town. Her family had been stationed I there for sixteen months and Noah had had just enough time to fall hopelessly in love for the first time.
Luke Danes hadn't seen her as anything more than the little sister of his girlfriend's newest friend. Okay maybe it was slightly more than that. Luke and Noah had become very good friends when Mr. Danes had hired her part time in the hardware store.
Noah loved the outdoors as much if not more than Luke. She loved to hike and fish and just to be outside, it was something that rarely seemed to change much from town to town.
This love and passion for the outdoors was what had first connected the two, Luke had never met anyway like Noah, he had never met someone that her could go for a walk in the woods with and then just sit in comfortable silence and watch the sun set. Rachel had never been able to just sit.
But that was all she had been to him, someone he could finally go fishing with. She had however fallen head over heals in love with the senior dating her older sisters friend.
Twenty years later Noah was returning to Stars Hollow, it wasn't for Luke she told herself repeatedly. It was for her mother who too had loved this town the most.
Her mother had died, after fifteen years of being crippled in a bed and holding on to any semblance of life her she had finally let go. Parkinson's had taken everything from Evelyn Pierce and now her youngest daughter was finally going to be able to give something back to her. NO it wasn't for Luke, he had most likely married Rachel and had a couple of kids. This was for her mother, and a little for herself.
The wind blew through Noah's light red, almost blond hair and loose waves stuck to the cherry lips gloss that covered her mouth.
'Williams Hardware' there it was. She could see the sign from her seat beside the gazebo, it hadn't changed a bit or so it seemed until she moved closer, shifting the sleeping angel in her arms.
As Noah approached the store she noticed that it no longer seemed to hold hardware it now looked to be a diner, she smiled Luke had always loved to cook, or rather he'd been good at it and Luke new the value of a using your talents. But William Danes would never have let anyone even his son change his store. Noah's smile fell from her face when realization hit her, he wouldn't object to what his son had done for only one reason and that was if he couldn't. Her heart fell deeper in her chest. She had loved that man.
Noah took in a deep breath and the girl in her arms stirred into consciousness.
"Mommy?"
" Hey angel, you hungry?"
Her daughter nodded.
"Kay, when we get inside why don't you pick a table and sit down, mommy's got to find an old friend."
Her daughter nodded again and slipped from her arms.
Noah pulled open the diner door and a bell so similar to that of Mr. Danes rang above her, she lifted her head to look at the same bells that had hung there twenty years earlier and noticed from the corner of her eyes her baby struggling into a vinyl chair.
When Noah lowered her eyes they fell into the familiar and unchanging eyes of Lucas Danes.
"Luke!" a tall beautiful dark haired woman dressed to the nines in a business suit and heals blew passed her and flopped onto a stool at the counter as if she had been doing so for her entire life. She began to speak but Noah could not hear what was being said and from the expression on Luke's face neither could he.
"Luke! Hello, earth to diner man!" She cried. He ignored her.
"Noah" He whispered, the woman turned and her gaze fell to Noah.
Luke set his coffee pot onto the counter and walked around the long barrier, the brunette watched him curiously.
"Noah!" He laughed this time and pulled her into his arms.
"Noah Pierce, what the hell took you so damn long to come back?!" Luke held her at arms length.
"Sorry Luke, I've been kind busy. Wow, your old." She laughed at him feeling the first bits of joy in weeks. "And it suits you." Then she laughed again, "What'd you stop shaving?" She rubbed delicate fingers over Luke's rough chin.
He laughed back at her.
"Hey your not my mother, and you've gotten older too. Geez you look amazing Noah, who knew that scrawny little teenager could become...this."
"Why thank you," she fake curtsied. They both laughed again.
"Now what the hell did you do to this store, your dad would kill you."
"I know, but after he died, I couldn't sell it and we both know that other than the occasional fix it job Hardware's not my thing."
"Yes we do, well I like it. I wish you had called," She said in a more serious tone. He knew that she was referring to his father's death and he inhaled.
"I tried but the last number you gave me was no good, I figured you'd come back someday." She understood.
"So what did eventually bring you home?"
"My mom died." Noah said after several moments of silence.
"Oh Noah I'm sorry." He pulled her into his arms a second time, no hesitation.
"I'm not, she had been suffering a long time, it was her time and she's happy now." There was a moment of silent understanding. Then Luke spoke again.
"Where are you staying, because I have room and I'd love for you to stay with me?" Noah smiled
"That's nice of you but what about Rachel?" Luke felt like he was struck with lightning of course she would think he was still with Rachel.
"Rachel is somewhere in the Congo or something, we haven't been together for a long time."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not, we weren't meant to be, I see that now." He found his mind floating to a certain dark haired caffeine addict and sighed.
"So can you stay?"
"I don't know Luke, I'm not exactly alone."
She's married of course she is she's gorgeous! Wow had he just called little Noah Pierce gorgeous.
"You're…"
He was about to speak but they where interrupted by a tiny plea.
"Momma, hungry." Luke's eyes widened as he turned to look at the small girl with lopsided brown pigtails and big green eyes.
"Luke meet Addie, my daughter." Noah picked up her daughter.
"Addie this is mommy's friend Luke, the one I told you about." Addie shied away from the tall man.
"Wow, hey, uh, hi there Addie." Luke smiled.
"Where's uh your…?"
"I'm not married, hey can we talk about this later?"
Luke saw her silent plea and nodded.
"So food, what can I get you two lovely ladies?"
"Whatever you think a three year old would like and whatever you like for me."
"Great have a seat and I'll be right back. Hey and Noah," She looked up at him and he smiled, "The offer to stay with me still stands, so long as you don't mind a little cramped space."
"Thanks Luke." Luke smiled and turned around, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Lorelai seated on a stool picking at a donut and drinking a coffee she had poured herself, listening to everything that had just happened.
Lorelai's POV
Lorelai ran into the diner and flew into her regular seat at the counter calling out to the man that provided her her addiction.
"Luke! Coffee, now. You would not believe my morning, I mean it's not even noon and I haven't had time for a single cup of that wonderful, hot liquid I like to refer to as life! We had the worst couple book three nights at the Inn, they complained about everything, even Sookie's cooking, you have to be absolutely insane to think that anything could be wrong with Sookie's cooking, Luke!" What was up with Luke he was frozen in silence, and not listening to a single thing she said!
"Luke! Hello, earth to diner man." Luke set down the coffee pot and walked around the counter, Lorelai turned with him and noticed him approach a very beautiful woman at the door. Who is that?
"Noah Pierce!" Ok, so he knows her but how. Lorelai listened to them talk, they when obviously very good friends. But why had she never heard anything about this woman before.
Lorelai's stomach rumbled, she looked at Luke and noticed how wrapped up he was in his conversation and went behind the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee, as she took a sip she saw him pull her into a second hug. A very friendly hug and a knot tightened in her stomach.
Who the hell is this woman? And how did she manage to hugs from Luke in the span of five minutes, its not fair! Aaaah what is wrong with me, I don't care who Luke hugs.
Lorelai pulled a donut from the case and sat back down she took a bite of her donut and then suddenly began to choke when she heard Luke, Did he just offer her to stay with him? Now I have to know who this woman is?
A kid, she has a kid, but I don't see a ring. This is driving me crazy, ooh here come Luke.
"Thanks Luke." Luke smiled and turned around, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Lorelai seated on a stool picking at a donut and drinking a coffee she had poured herself, listening to everything that had just happened.
"Lorelai, hey when did you get here?" He knows damn well when I got here!
"Right." Was all he said at her lack of a response.
"Uh, Lorelai I'd like you to meet Noah, Noah this is Lorelai."
"Hi," Lorelai climbed off her stool and shook hands with the very foreign woman.
"Hello, uh, this is my daughter Addie. Would you like to join us?"
"Sure, Hi there Addie," Lorelai smiled at this little girl, she was beautiful and something about her reminded Lorelai of Rory as a baby.
Lorelai was about to speak when the diner door swung open and Kirk ran in.
"Noah!" He cried as he ran up to Noah and wrapped his arms around her.
"Hey Kirk, how are you?"
"I'm excellent, I'm so glad your back, I have to tell Patty!" He ran from the diner and Luke who had been unnoticed in the doorway to the kitchen and Noah burst into laughter.
"He hasn't changed a bit has he?" Noah asked between giggles.
"He took your advice you know, he has tried every job in stars Hollow, can't find his passion." Luke laughed, Lorelai sat back in shock, Luke didn't laugh, well not like that in public, who the hell was this girl?
Noah gasped and a hand flew to her lips.
"No that's not what I meant, Luke! Why didn't you tell him that that wasn't what I meant, his poor mother!" Noah playfully hit Luke in the chest as he set down their food.
"It was too fun watching him, apply for every position in town."
"You're horrible Lucas Danes, your father would be ashamed." The room froze at the casually mention of Luke's father, no one mentioned Luke's father.
"He would have laughed, in fact," Luke leaned in closer to Noah and she unconsciously inhaled his scent and closed her eyes at the feel of his breath on her ear and cheek, Lorelai caught all of this with interest.
"It was his idea not to tell him."