Chapter 1: Take Care of My Girl

Luke Danes enjoyed the quiet of Stars Hollow. The soft, sleepy streets and the friendly people constituted the peace one might find in a retirement of sorts. Even if Luke was still operating his own diner, it was tranquility compared to his past life.

Luke had seen a lot in his 42 years. He had gone through what school he could, and was even offered a baseball scholarship at a local college. That was in 1976, but Luke had turned the scholarship down, deciding instead to help out his family's business and especially his father. At that time, William Danes had been suffering from PTSD inflicted by his experiences serving in Vietnam and particularly his memories of the Fall of Saigon. William's Hardware store mainly served as a way for the elder Danes to still work with his hands and distract him. And it did, for a time, at least until he got cancer.

William had always had a guilty pleasure for unhealthy foods, stubbornly refusing the more nutritious alternatives his son suggested. Finally, in fall 1989, the old man passed away. Grieving, Luke desperately searched for an outlet. When Sadaam Hussein invaded Kuwait several months later, Luke found that outlet and joined up. Operation Desert Storm was brief, but Luke's time in the Army not only allowed him to follow in his father's footsteps, but also gave him the discipline he needed to accept William's death. Upon returning, he even had a job ready and waiting for him, as his mother had converted the old hardware store into the diner Luke had always dreamed of opening.

Luke's hometown of Stars Hollow, Connecticut welcomed him back with open arms. Despite his gruff exterior - exacerbated by his time in the Army - Luke managed to make friends. His closest would be a mother-daughter pair known as Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Luke fed them almost every day, giving Lorelai her regular cups of coffee to get her through her job at the Independence Inn, where she worked as the Executive Manager. Rory often did her homework at the diner, and Luke would watch her if Lorelai was out.

One autumn night in the fall of 2000, Luke was just winding down his shift for the day when Lorelai and Rory came rushing in.

"Coffee!" Lorelai demanded like she was a dying woman.

Luke turned back to her, pot in hand, thoroughly unamused. "How many cups have you had today?"

"None"

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Plus?"

"Five, but yours is better!"

Luke looked from mother to daughter, shaking his pot at Rory. "She being straight with me, princess?"

16-year-old Rory nodded. "And she's gonna need it, too. We're going to the state fair over in Hartford!"

"Why can't you just get coffee there?"

"Because!" Lorelai explained. "They put them in these shitty little cups and give you too much sugar on purpose so you'll get high off their products and just buy more!"

"And this is a problem for you, why? You're always raiding the doughnuts stand in here!" Luke pointed out. Rory giggled.

"Who could have guessed you knew my mother's eating habits better than I did?" An idea suddenly formed in Rory's mind. "Hey, Luke, why don't you come with us? It'd be fun!"

"I don't do state fairs," Luke frowned. "Besides, I got a date tonight."

Rory's eyes shone, ignoring the almost unnoticeable flash of disappointment on her mother's face. "With who?"

"My sister. So it really isn't a date at all." He crossed to the stairs leading up to his apartment loft. "LIZ! Get outta the shower! I need to take one and change!"

"Oooh, fancy, fancy!" Lorelai teased, back to her bubbly self. "Dinner, I take it?"

"A show. Stars Hollow High is putting on Miss Saigon. Our dad served in Vietnam and we thought we'd go to think of him."

Lorelai blinked, suddenly realizing. "It's the anniversary of his death, isn't it?" she whispered. When Luke nodded, she touched his arm. "Oh, Luke... I'm sorry..."

Luke shook his head. "Not your fault." He now heard the water being shut off upstairs. "I gotta go. Have fun at the fair!"

Lorelai suddenly hugged him. "Have fun at the show!" She left with Rory following, the teen giving him a wave out the door. Luke smiled after them.

He didn't know it then, but he had just seen one of the Gilmore girls for the last time.

A few hours later, it was intermission at the auditorium. Moving into the lobby, Liz stepped out of her high heels to rest her feet.

"Man! Depressing as hell, and still with an act to go!" she grumbled. "Any concessions anywhere?"

Luke spotted a stand and pointed his sister in its direction, even as he moved to turn on his phone and check for messages. An unfamiliar number popped onto his screen, indicating he had a voicemail. Luke listened for it.

"Mr. Danes, this is Dr. Shandley at Hartford Hospital. We have Ms. Lorelai Gilmore in the Trauma Unit; there's been a car accident. Her daughter told us you were the person to call..."

Luke's heart plummeted like a stone. Oh Holy God... He didn't wait to hear the rest of the message, leaping for the concession stand.

"Liz, we have to go!"

"Luke! What the hell? It's only intermission!"

"Tough. My best friend is in the Emergency Room from a car accident, and her daughter is probably in hysterics! Let's go!"

Brother and sister raced out of the theatre.

Hartford Hospital was bustling when the Danes siblings got there. Luke flung himself at the front desk.

"Lorelai Gilmore! What room is she in?"

"Room 75," the receptionist directed him. Luke tore down the hall, Liz worriedly following him. Nearing the room, Luke saw Rory outside on a bench, head in her arms.

"Rory!"

"Luke!" The teenager flung herself into his arms without another thought. She burst into tears on his shoulder.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, but Mom took the brunt to protect me! We were almost to the fair - a trailer tractor ran a red and T-boned us! - She's... she's..." Rory couldn't finish as the sobs overtook her.

Watching the scene unfold, Liz bit her lip. She didn't know if she should be here. Coming here had made sense to help Luke put their mother's estate in order (Katherine Danes had passed away earlier that year). And leaving her son, Jess, with her current boyfriend... She placed a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"I should go." She did not wait for his response, turning on her heel and leaving. Though she was abandoning her brother at a critical time, Liz did not know what else to do. Forgetting his sister, Luke turned back to Rory.

"Take me to your mom."

Rory led Luke inside. He nearly threw up at the sight.

Lorelai was hooked up to monitors and wires. A bandage was wrapped around her head. The eldest Gilmore must have been weak or limited in motion, for she now turned her head very slowly. Rory came up to her bedside.

"You're going to get better... won't you, Mommy?"

Lorelai shook her head, even as her eyes filled with tears. Her voice now came out in a weak croak. "I'm dying, baby."

Rory staggered backwards, as if she had been struck. "No... no..."

Lorelai gave her an almost gentle look. "Rory, look at me. Can I... speak to Luke for a moment?"

Rory ran from the room in tears. Luke approached his best friend's bedside. His heart broke to see her like this. She couldn't die! Not spunky, zesty Lorelai - so full of life and spirit!

"Luke..." Lorelai strained to lift her head off the pillow. "We're best friends, right?"

"You're damn right we are!" Luke's voice shook even as he attempted to keep his emotions in check.

"And we'd do anything for each other, right?"

"Right."

"Can you do something for me?" The woman paused to collect herself. "I re-wrote my will several months ago... If anything happened to me... I gave you custody of Rory, and permission to adopt her. Luke... take care of my girl..."

Luke clasped her hand. "Lorelai... don't die..."

"Take care of Rory... please..."

Luke nodded. "I will," he choked out.

"Take care of my girl... take care of my girl..." Lorelai was fading fast. Luke grabbed Rory from the hall, allowing for mother and daughter to share one last goodbye. Sharing a chaste kiss with Rory, Lorelai finally succumbed to her injuries.

Rory's sobs and wails echoed throughout the hospital.