I know, I know! Please don't hate me, I just couldn't resist! I've been talking with nzlouise and she gave me this idea for a story and after reading Welcome to Stars Hollow, I got inspired to actually write it. I'm not abandoning Better Together, I promise! This is just a little side project.
Basically Lorelai has Rory but Emily and Richard have her adopted straight after without Lorelai knowing. However, the woman who adopts Rory gets into a car accident on the way home and dies. Luke's the first on the scene and alerts the social services about Rory. However, after a while, Luke finds out they're considering putting Rory into care or to an orphanage so he decides to adopt her after forming a bond with her. After Lorelai finds out about what her parents have done, she's furious and leaves home and goes to Stars Hollow where she meets Mia who gives her the potting shed and a job.
Fast forward 7 years, Luke and Rory are living in the apartment and Luke's running the diner. Lorelai is still working at the inn and hasn't stopped looking for Rory. She's yet to meet Luke. Also, a slight twist to this is that Luke's mother is still alive and living with them. His dad still died.
Ok I think that's it! I really hope you like it!
Chapter 1
Lorelai walked into the Independence inn in the morning to star her shift. "Hi Mia." She smiled, passing her boss and somewhat guardian angel.
"Good morning, Lorelai." Mia smiled warmly. "How are you today?"
"Yeh I'm ok." Lorelai nodded. "I'm on the desk today, right?" She asked.
"You are, yes." Mia nodded.
Lorelai nodded and went over to the desk and see to some guests. Mia sighed and watched her smiling at the guests and acting all happy and friendly around them. She knew that was all an act though. Lorelai had told her the whole story of her life when she had taken her in. She remembered the day Lorelai arrived at the inn, crying, and asking if there were any jobs going or rooms to stay in. She had felt sorry for her and wanted to help her. She knew Lorelai still hadn't given up on Rory. She was still searching for information everyday.
At lunchtime, Lorelai got an hour lunch break so she went into the square to get her daily coffee and slice of cake from Weston's. Her heart sank when she got to the door, though, to find it closed. "Great!" She muttered. She looked round, not knowing what to do. She needed her coffee to function. She then noticed Miss Patty walking down with a takeaway cup. "Miss Patty, is that coffee?" She asked.
"It is dear." Patty smiled.
"Where did you get it? I didn't realised there was anywhere else that served coffee." Lorelai said.
"There wasn't. Luke's has just opened recently." Patty said. "It's the one with the hardware sign outside it.
"Thank you!" Lorelai said and rushed off. She found it easily and saw it was packed so she went to sit at a free seat at the counter. She looked around for someone who looked like they worked there.
"Caesar, we need that tuna melt!" A gruff voice said.
Lorelai saw a guy with a flannel shirt and backwards baseball cap appear from the kitchen and walk over to a table and give them the food he was carrying. She watched as he then came behind the counter and saw him fiddle with the coffee machine. She realised this moment. "Hey you! You in the flannel shirt! I need some coffee pronto!" She called.
Luke turned round at scowled at her. "Yeh you and the whole town. Wait your turn." He grunted.
"But I need it now!" Lorelai pleaded. "I need coffee!"
"I get it, you're a coffee addict but other people got here before you so shut up and wait your turn or leave." He said annoyed.
Lorelai pouted. She then saw the woman next to her with a newspaper and got an idea. "Hey, do you mind if I borrow that for a minute?" She asked.
"Of course not, dear." Mrs Cassini smiled.
"Thanks!" Lorelai said and went to the horoscope. "Hey, you in the cap! What's your horoscope?"
"What?" Luke asked annoyed and confused.
"What's your horoscope?" She asked again.
"Scorpio." He grunted, hoping it would keep her quiet.
Lorelai then wrote something down in the newspaper and then tore it out. "Here!" She said handing it to him as he walked past her.
"What is this?" Luke asked.
"Read it!" Lorelai smiled.
Luke sighed but read it out loud. "You will meet an annoying woman today. Give her coffee and she will go away." He looked up and had to smirk at her hopeful face. "Fine." He relented, getting a mug and pouring some coffee into it. "Happy now?"
"Yes!" Lorelai grinned, sipping the coffee. "Oh my god, this is amazing!" She then heard a giggle from her right. She looked down and saw a young girl watching them, giggling at her antics. "Hi! What's your name?" She smiled at the girl.
"Leave my daughter out of this please." Luke said.
"She's your daughter?" Lorelai asked surprised.
"Yep." He said gruffly.
"Wow, I would never have guessed that." Lorelai said.
"Why?" He asked affronted.
"You just don't look like the father type." Lorelai said. "Sorry."
"Yeh well she's my daughter." Luke said. "Now the horoscope said you would go away once you had your coffee." He said.
"Ok ok, I'm going!" Lorelai said. She went to leave but then turned back. "Sorry, I really didn't mean to offend you. Your daughter's sweet. I bet you're a great dad." She said sheepishly.
"Thanks." He said.
"I'm Lorelai by the way." She said.
"Luke." He said.
Lorelai gave him a small smile before leaving, not knowing that she had just met her daughter for the first time.
Later that day, after her afternoon shift at the inn, Lorelai was back in the square. She was walking to Al's for take out when she saw Luke and his daughter coming out of Dooses. She noticed Luke was struggling carrying bags of groceries. She saw him shouting after his daughter and she realised she was heading towards the road. She didn't know whether it was mother's instinct but she suddenly started running and managed to stop the girl before she stepped out onto the road. "Whoa, slow down missy! You'll give your dad a heart attack!" She said.
"Thank you." Luke said gratefully, realising who she was. "She got away from me."
"Well no harm done." Lorelai smiled. "Would you like some help?" She asked gesturing to the bags.
"Oh no you don't need to." He said.
"I don't mind. Honestly. That way you can keep hold of this one." Lorelai smiled down at the girl.
"Ok if you don't mind." He said handing her a couple of bags so that one hand was free to take hold of his daughter's.
"Where were you heading?" Luke asked.
"Oh just Al's." Lorelai said.
"His food will kill you." Luke grunted.
"It's the only stuff I can afford." Lorelai shrugged.
Luke glanced at her surprised. "How about I make you something?" He suggested.
"What, at the diner?" Lorelai asked.
"Yeh." He said.
They walked up to the diner and Lorelai noticed the closed on the door. "Have't you closed already?" She asked gesturing to the sign.
"Yeh but I don't mind making something quick." He said.
"I don't have that much money." Lorelai said doubtfully.
"It's on the house." Luke said.
"What?" Lorelai asked surprised that he was being nice to her after what had happened this morning.
He glanced at her. "All first time customers are on the house." He said.
"But I've been before." She said.
"You didn't have any food though." He pointed out. "It'll be better than Al's." He said.
Lorelai had to smile at that. "Ok. Thanks."
They walked in and Rory plonked herself at the end of the counter and started reading a book while Luke put the bags on the counter and then headed to the kitchen. "What would you like?" He asked Lorelai.
Lorelai glanced at the menu. "Uh a burger?" She asked.
"Coming right up." He said.
As the burger was cooking, Lorelai watched as Luke came out and went over to his daughter. She smiled as he went round to sit next to her and talk to her quietly. She noticed how gentle he was with her and how she giggled at something he said which made him smile in return. He then asked her something to which she nodded. He then placed a kiss on the top of her head and then went behind the counter again. Lorelai watched as he got her a glass of juice and then gave it to her. He then walked back over to her. "Your burger should be ready soon." He said.
"Thanks." She said. "Hey Luke?" She said.
"Yeh?" Luke said.
"Your daughter's so sweet. She's so well behaved." Lorelai smiled. "I can see what a great dad you are. I am sorry about what I said this morning."
Luke smiled. "It's fine." He assured her. He glanced down at Rory and smiled. "She's a great kid. Changed my life." He admitted.
Lorelai smiled at his affectionate tone. "So uh...her mother?" She asked cautiously.
"I don't know." He said gruffly.
"You don't know?" Lorelai asked confused.
Luke sighed. He glanced to make sure Rory wasn't listening to them but she was too engrossed in her book. "I don't know who her mother is. I adopted her." He said.
"Oh. Wow. I didn't know, sorry." Lorelai said in surprise. So not only was he obviously a devoted dad, but he had chosen to be one to give this girl a good life. She thought about Rory. She desperately wanted to find her but in the meantime, she really wished she was with a loving family. She suddenly realised Luke was ranting infront of her and caught the end of it.
"I mean what kind of person has a kid and then abandons them? If they didn't want a kid, they should have been more careful and not fallen pregnant!" He ranted.
"Hey, maybe some people didn't have a choice!" Lorelai snapped. "Maybe it was too late for some people to do anything!"
Luke was taken aback by the hostility in her voice. "Whoa ok. Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He said confused.
Lorelai sighed and put her head in her hands. "No I'm sorry Luke. I just...this is just a bit close to home, that's all." She admitted.
"What do you mean?" Luke asked.
Lorelai looked up at him, not knowing whether to tell him. She had just met him that day. Could she trust him? Something told her she could though. "I got pregnant when I was 16." She admitted, quietly. She looked up to see if he was going to judge her and saw that he looked surprised and wondered if she was doing the same thing. "I know it's young. You probably think I was reckless and irresponsible." She said.
Luke shook his head. "My sister got pregnant young." He said. "I would never judge people. So what happened?" He asked knowing something must have considering Lorelai obviously didn't have a kid with her.
"My parents decided to get her adopted behind my back. They were scared about what people would think of them and our family. They thought it would bring shame on them." She said scornfully. "I saw my daughter for about 5 minutes before the nurses took her down to the nursery. I was a bit out of it so they suggested I had a little nap and then go see her later. However, little did I know, that was the last time I saw my daughter. My parents did it without telling me and when I went down to the nursery, I found out she had gone." Lorelai said sadly.
"I'm sorry." Luke said shocked. "I would never had said what I said..."
"It's fine. How were you to know?" Lorelai said. She sighed. "I was so angry. I moved out of my parents' house that same day and came here. I got a job at the inn. I've never given up looking for her." She said.
"I'm sorry." Luke repeated, not really knowing what to say.
Lorelai just gave him a small smile. "You're lucky." She said glancing at his daughter.
"I'll go and get your burger." He said softly.
Lorelai just nodded.
About half an hour later, Lorelai got up to leave when she heard Luke's daughter suddenly get excited.
"Grandma!" Rory said excitedly.
Lorelai watched as she ran into an older woman's arms.
"Hello sweetheart." The older woman smiled warmly.
"I got to watch daddy work again!" Rory beamed.
"That's great!" The woman laughed at her enthusiasm. She then noticed Lorelai standing there. "Oh sorry. Hi, I'm Katherine." She smiled.
"Nice to meet you." Lorelai smiled. "I'm Lorelai."
"Nice to meet you, Lorelai." Katherine smiled.
Luke then came out of the kitchen having turned everything off. "Hi mom." He smiled.
"Hi darling. Busy day?" She asked.
"Yeh." He said tiredly.
"You two eaten?" She asked.
"Not yet." Luke said.
"I'll leave you to it. Thanks for the burger." Lorelai smiled at Luke. She then turned to Katherine. "It was nice to meet you." She said. "And you, stay out of roads." She joked, giving her a wink which made Rory giggle. "Bye." She smiled at Luke.
"See ya." Luke said. He watched her walk across the square to a jeep. Something about her intrigued him. He felt sorry for her as well.
"Who was that?" Katherine asked.
"Only met her today." Luke said. "Her name's Lorelai. She told you that."
"I know. It's just she looks familiar, that's all." Katherine said.
Luke shrugged. "She works at the inn. Maybe you've seen her one of the times you go to see Mia." He said.
"Yeh maybe.." Katherine said but was unconvinced.
"Daddy, can I go watch tv?" Rory asked.
"Sure. I'm going to start cooking dinner. Lasagne ok, mom?" Luke asked his mom. He saw her looking out of the window watching Lorelai's jeep disappear out of sight. "Mom?"
"What?" Katherine came out of daze. "Oh yeh sorry darling, lasagne's great thanks." She smiled. She let Rory down who happily followed Luke upstairs. She took one last look out of the window and then followed them too.
So what do you think? Give me a review and let me know! I would really appreciate your feedback! :) Next chapter Lorelai may discover that Luke's daughter is called Rory...