A/N - QUESTION FOR THIS CHAPTER - IM ABOUT READY TO INTRODUCE THE SMALL VILLAGE OF STARS HOLLOW - AND THE INHABITANTS - ANY IDEAS AS TO WHO SHOULD BE WHAT?

Something warm on her face drew her out of her dreamless sleep. Her lashes brushed her face as she blinked her way into the world of the woken. Her eyes took a bit to adjust to the light, to the sun that was streaming in through the window. But as she adjusted, she took in her surroundings for the first time.

The whole cottage, shaped in a square, had walls made of stone, but not like the stone walls that Lorelai had grown up with. These seemed to be hand-laid. Wooden beams went from the dirt floor to the ceiling, which was a wooden roof. All around the room, things were so condensed and bare. Refreshing from all the decorations and clutter at the palace.

A small stone oven in the corner. A small table along the wall with two chairs. A bed in the other corner, brown blanket and small pillow covering the thin mattress. Along the other wall, a few shelves stood, with little bottles, big glass jars, and other things Lorelai had no idea what they were for. Along that same wall was a doorway that opened into what looked to be a garden during the summer, but now just a plot of land covered in snow and a walkway. Lorelai found herself in the next corner, and looked along the wall next to her to find the fireplace, where someone stood stirring the large pot that was in the fire.

Lorelai startled just a bit when she heard the woman's voice coming from the person at the fireplace. "I'm so glad you're awake." The voice was sweet, but now Lorelai could see the face. The face of a woman, kind and gentle. Even her eyes smile. Lorelai thought as she saw such twinkle in the elderly lady. And her smile seemed to envelope Lorelai into its happiness. Her grey hair was pulled back up into a tight bun, but her face didn't look harsh at all. Her dress was a warm grey, a small apron tied around her waist.

In her hands, she held a bowl and she filled the bowl with some type of soup from the large black pot in the fire. "I thought maybe you might like something to warm you up here. Give you some substance."

At that moment, Lorelai realized just how hungry she really was. The woman brought the soup over to the cot. She knew she would have to sit up, so she swung her legs over the side of the little bed, using her arms to push herself up, she brought her head up. But the world started spinning.

"Darling, just sit up slowly." The comforting again. And a hand in the middle of her back to help support her. "Your body had a rough shock yesterday."

The woman just sat there, holding her back, until Lorelai looked at the bowl of steaming hot something. "Do you think you can hold the bowl?"

Lorelai nodded, and took the small bowl. She held the bowl in one hand and spooned the hot, warming, comforting soup into her mouth. And another. And another. Until the whole bowl was gone. "I hope that you slept well."

The first words Lorelai had muttered in almost a day, she said, "Thank you."

Another big smile greeted Lorelai's gratitude. "You are most welcome."

Another set of words. "For everything." Her diplomatic side of her was taking over. "I'm sure it wasn't your greatest want to open up your home to a young woman carrying a child out of wedlock. To have her come in the middle of the night – it just added to the list of things that you weren't really wanting." She took a breath – having so many words to get out.

"Darling, of course I wasn't expecting a year ago to have a beautiful woman here in my home. But I have the blessing to get to know you and let you have a safe place to stay until things get figured out and you can bring this little baby…" Lorelai smiled as a hand reached out and touched her stomach, "… into this world to be loved and cared for."

Something about last night was plaguing her mind. Something Lorelai couldn't remember. Something that wasn't adding up. But she couldn't think.

But at that lovely thought, Lorelai's stomach turned. And she felt sick. And sicker. Buy the second. "I think I'm…"

Suddenly there was a small pot in front of her, where she emptied the contents of her stomach, soup, into the pot.

"Finished?" When Lorelai nodded, the pot was gone, leaving the woman there with a small hankerchief. "To wash your mouth."

A small smile on her face, Lorelai cleaned her mouth. And then she said, "This little thing is going to be the death of me." Hand on her stomach, "Eating is one of my favorite things to do. So this baby must want to get close to me, emotionally, by taking the ability to eat food away."

The woman stood up and walked back over to the pot in the fire, and filled the bowl again with hot soup. "I think you should keep eating, because it's been a few days since you've eaten and you need to get that little one some nourishment."

Still hungry just afraid of throwing up, Lorelai spooned the soup in just a bit slower. And she was taking her time when the woman asked, "Darling, I don't want to keep calling you 'darling' but I don't know your name."

Of course you wouldn't. My father would never want someone to know what their family was. But Lorelai wasn't happy with her parents at all. So she said between bites, "Lorelai."

"What a gorgeous name! So unique and…"

Lorelai laughed and said, "And hard for a little kid to pronounce."

"That it is!" An infectious laugh.

"I was four before I could pronounce my own name."

"Lorelai, you make me laugh." And then the woman said, "I'm Mia, which was a little easier to pronounce as a child."

Mia stood up, taking the empty bowl of soup to the small bucket of water on the table. And Mia continued to talk, "How about we get you into a different dress. And then maybe take a walk? Fresh air does wonders to help get rid of morning sickness."

Getting changed out of her muddy dress, Lorelai was amazed at how much better she felt in clean clothing and a full stomach. Her hair, knotted from the wet, windy journey, made her feel very inadequate to care for herself. Kenna, I miss you. Lorelai thought as she tried to run her brush through her tangled hair. After giving up, she managed to come up with some braid that looked pretty rough, but it kept her hair out of her face.

Mia had wrapped herself in a grey wool cloak, and had a basket over her arm. "You don't mind if I make some stops along the way?"

Lorelai shook her head. She looked around for her cloak, the one from the night before, but Mia handed her a plain one like the one she was wearing.

"I still haven't gotten some of the mud off of that cloak." Mia said, and then added, "And the material of that one looked so very exquisite. No need to give people more to gossip about."

And with that, Mia walked out the door, and Lorelai hurried to keep up.