PS: Set before LWFTWT, but not too much earlier.
Liz Danes sat at the counter of her brother's diner, people-watching.
When she was younger, she couldn't wait to get away from Stars Hollow, feeling as if the tiny town was suffocating her, but now... She was older, had matured some, it was easier to be within town limits these days.
"Hey, Luke, can I get a cup of coffee?" she asked, smiling at him as he moved around behind the counter, busily.
With a grunt, Luke grabbed the coffee pot, poured some into a mug. He only filled it halfway as he stared outside. Picking up another mug, he filled it to the top as a woman came inside.
"Luke I want-" he shoved the hot drink towards her and she closed her mouth. "Thanks."
Liz poured a little milk into her mini-coffee as she watched the two of them converse.
"How's Rory doin'?"
"Oh, great. Learning a ton. She'll be smarter than everyone in town soon."
"That probably wouldn't be hard." Luke commented, as he pointed to a table by the window.
Kirk was trying to eat a stack of pancakes with a spoon and drink his coffee through a straw. Everytime he took a drink, he would cry out in pain as his mouth was scalded.
Liz stretched to reach a paper someone had left a little ways down the counter and began flipping through to find the comics. ',,,Ah, Garfield.'
Luke and - what was her name? - this woman, with dark, slightly curled hair and intensly blue eyes, continued to talk, paying no attention to anyone else in the diner.
Liz was beginning to feel as if there was another people-watcher somewhere nearby.
When had it started raining? She wondered as she turned on her stool to look outside. There was a light drizzle, causing people to move faster than usual.
All except one.
And now this one Liz remembered. She had red curly hair, a bag slung over her shoulders and two other medium-sized suitcases, one on either side of her.
Rachel.
The suitcases were a dead give-away. Rachel had always been going somewhere, she always had her bags packed.
Rachel stood in the rain, watching Luke as he spoke to - Lorelai! That was it! - as he spoke to Lorelai. She wasn't paying any attenton to anything else.
She was staring through the glass at the couple at the counter. Hitching up her skirt a little she straightened her stockings, and didn't seem to notice that there was water dripping off the roof onto her head.
Liz laughed quietly to herself as Rachel continued to watch Luke and Lorelai.
"Hey, Luke what time is it?" Kirk called from his table.
"Shut up Kirk."
After a few moments, Rachel seemed to change her mind. She picked up her bags and turned, walking away from the diner, back to a rental car parked just outside the Soda Shoppe.
The church bells chimed then and Liz looked at her watch. Eleven AM. How had she missed them earlier?
Luke growled with frustration as he moved into the kitchen to fetch an order for one of his customers - at the bells or having to move away from his morning companion?
Oh, Stars Hollow, how I've missed you. Liz mused, sipping the last of her coffee. She would have to remember to ask Luke for another half a cup when he returned to the counter.
FIN
Did you get it? I hear the song all the time and then last week I just had this thought of Luke and his woman. That was it. That's all I thought of until I sat down to write this. Also, I know they broke the bells, but for my purposes, they are in tact this morning. That was kinda fun. Please review.
Megan.