Thanks guys for the reviews and follows! Just so you know, I watched episodes and clips from various episodes to prepare for this. Literally one line in this thing had me watching the Mia episodes.

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"Is she okay?" Luke asked when Lorelai came back downstairs with Rory beside her. Nodding, the mother asked, "She got stage fright, but she's okay. Right?"

"Yeah," Rory said softly. Noticing the child hide her face behind her mother's arm, Luke gave her a smile.

"How about when you get done, I let you come back here and have some pie?"

Her eyes lighting up, the child asked, "Apple?"

"Whatever you want," Luke replied with a smile before the mother and daughter left the diner. Heading over to the gazebo, Lorelai looked at her daughter and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Okay. Do I really get pie after?" The five year old asked. With a smile, her mother answered, "Luke promised, didn't he?"

"Yeah," The girl replied as they looked for Miss Patty. After a moment, Rory added, "But Dad promises, and that doesn't happen sometimes."

Hurt that her daughter was already understanding the complexitites of a broken promise, the woman wished she could find her ex and yell at him. Instead, the young mother calmly replied, "Well Luke's not like your dad. I'm sure he'll let you have pie."

The child smiled in response just as the dance instructor found them. Heading over to the girl, Miss Patty exclaimed, "Oh good! I thought we'd be one pumpkin short! Come with me Sweetie."

"Break a leg, Kiddo," Lorelai said with a smile before she watched her daughter follow the older woman to the stage. Twenty minutes later, the mothers of Miss Patty's Pumpkins went to claim their children. Spotting her daughter, Lorelai held her arms out to her. Hugging the girl, the mother exclaimed, "Nice job, Sweets!"

Beaming, the five year old asked, "Pie?"

Her mother nodded. Rory definitely inherited her appetaite. With a smile, Lorelai confirmed, "Pie."

Happily, she took her daughter's hand and headed back to the diner.

"I did it!" Rory exclaimed when she entered the less hectic establishment and gained the owner's attention.

"She was great and turned about as well as every other pumpkin up there!" Lorelai beamed proudly. Smiling, Luke asked, "Pie?"

"Apple?" Rory asked as her mother asked for pumpkin.

"I don't have pumpkin," The man replied as the pair sat at their usual table. Shocked, Lorelai exclaimed, "It's Thanksgiving and you don't have pumpkin pie?"

"Apple better for you, instead?" He questioned. Lorelai nodded. Serving both a piece of pie, Luke soon gave Lorelai a cup of coffee and Rory a glass of milk. While they ate, the brunette noticed her friend continually glance over at them. Walking up to the counter, but sure to keep an eye on her daughter, Lorelai told her friend, "She's fine."

"I know. It's just I lost her in my diner again. Maybe I should start locking my door," Luke wondered aloud as he explained, "She must have snuck by me when I was taking an order. I'm sorry."

Touched by his obvious love for her daughter, the woman explained, "Luke, parenting is hard and I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you over the last few weeks, but Rory likes you for some reason and I–"

"Do you want to come to Thanksgiving?" Luke asked cutting the woman off. After Rory asked about his Thanksgiving plans when he watched her, he decided if they were not doing anything that the Gilmore Girls could join him. As Luke began to rescind the offer, a shocked Lorelai replied, "No! Just let me go ask Rory."

Leaving the counter, Luke hoped she would say yes, but was also aware they may have their own tradition. As she sat back down, the woman grabbed a napkin and handed it to her daughter.

"You have pie on your chin," The mother said. Wiping off her face, the five year old asked, "Is it gone?"

"Yeah, baby. Hey, Luke wanted to know if we wanted to have Thanksgiving with him?"

Eyes wide, the girl answered, "Yes! Did you know Luke doesn't have Thanksgiving with his sister?"

"I do now," The woman replied before she told Rory to tell Luke their answer.

When they made their way to leave half an hour later, the mother and daughter turned when Lorelai heard her name.

"I just remembered we should probably figure out a time," Luke mumbled awkwardly. The woman could tell he was not good with social engagements. Letting him decided, Lorelai asked if he had a certain time in mind.

"Five?" He asked wanting to make sure everything was finished by the time they came by. Nodding, the woman replied, "Yeah. Mia is flying out to see her son this year and Sookie's having dinner with her parents, so five should be fine. Anything you want me to bring?"

Luke shook his head, "I've got it covered."

With a small smile, Lorelai replied, "Alright. I'll see you on Thursday."

Thursday evening came around and Lorelai and Rory happily walked up the steps to the closed diner. Knocking, the mother and daughter waited for Luke to open the door.

"Hey," He said letting them inside and eyeing the flowers they held in their hands suspiciously. Curious, Luke pointed to the flora and asked, "What is that for?"

"To make the place look pretty," Lorelai teased handing them to her friend. He took them, but was still confused.

"Mom always says it's nice to bring a gift when you're invited to someone's house," Rory recited. Trying not to roll his eyes, the diner owner looked at the adult in front of him and asked, "What do you want me to do with these exactly?"

"Put them in water? You got a vase?" The woman asked as she shut the door and followed Luke behind the counter. Shaking his head, Luke replied, "I'll stick 'em in a cup."

"You don't have a vase?" Lorelai asked confused while Luke went to the storage room and came out with a cooked turkey. Quickly, Lorelai asked her daughter to sit at their table while the twenty one year old began to grab a carving knife.

"Woah! What are you doing?" The flannel wearing turkey holder questioned when he saw his friend rooting through his drawers. Looking up, the woman replied, "Grabbing a carving knife."

"It's not there," Luke answered as he took the turkey to the table where Rory sat in astonishment.

"It's not there? You're a diner," Lorelai replied adding, "What do you do, chop your turkey up with an ax? Do you have mice? Did you cut their tails off?"

"I meant it's not where you're looking and you can't touch it," Luke stated glancing at Rory. She gave him a smile before he asked, "How do you put up with her talking?"

"Hey, no corrupting my kid," Lorelai joked as she sat at the table and admitted defeat. "Besides, she talks just as much as me when she wants to."

The adults held steady banter the rest of dinner until no one could eat anymore. Soon, Lorelai insisted she do the dishes since Luke cooked. When she would not secede, Luke finally gave in. Going behind the counter, Luke pulled out a deck of cards.

"You want to play a card game?" He asked. Nodding enthusiastically, Rory soon began an intense game of Go Fish with the man. Coming out of the back room after finishing the dishes, the woman watched the pair play. Heading toward the table, the woman asked, "Who's winning?"

With a yawn, Rory replied, "I am."

"It sounds like you're tired," The mother stated as she stroked her daughter's hair. Rory shook her head refusing to be tired. Lorelai merely nodded as she sat down beside her daughter and coached her.

"Cheating," Luke mumbled. "So, Rory. Tell me about being a pumpkin."

"I only dressed as a pumpkin," The child said seriously. Smirking at her daughter's literal take on the man's words, the mother replied, "Tell him what you did while you were dressed as a pumpkin."

The adults listened the the girl describe her routine and then act out a small bit for them when Luke did not fully follow what she was saying until Rory's head rested on Lorelai's shoulder. After a moment, Lorelai made eye contact with her friend.

"Is she out?" She asked. The man nodded. Easing her arm under her armpits, Lorelai managed to scoop her daughter up and ask if it were okay for the child to take a nap upstairs. Nodding, the diner owner said he would lock up and follow her. Lorelai shook her head explaining that she would rather be downstairs, but would appreciate his opening the door for her.

Luke complied before he headed back downstairs. Five minutes later, he saw his friend come downstairs.

"I was going to get a vase for those flowers, but you were right. You really don't have any. I found wine instead," The woman stated.

"Trying to get me drunk?" Luke teased as Lorelai poured them each a small glass.

"Careful Mister, that could be the tryptophan talking," She smirked taking a sip of her wine. Nodding toward the man's upstairs apartment, the mother asked, "Rory told me you don't eat Thanksgiving with your sister?"

Shaking his head, Luke replied, "No. She lives in New York and it's too complicated with her schedule."

Noticing his sister was a sore subject, the brunette backed off.

"Well, I'm glad. Not that you don't get to see your sister," The woman began when Luke held up his hand to signal he understood.

"Anyway," She added, "I'm glad you asked. Rory and I would have had a movie marathon," Lorelai joked until her friend's eyebrow raise caused her to add, "I'm not much of a cook."

The pair stayed in a comfortable silence until the twenty one year old added, "I think I should head home. I want to get to the car lot as early as possible. Mia's driving back today anyway. She's really worried about the inn."

"Yeah," Luke replied adding, "She's always been that way. My mom used to joke that it was her other kid."

"Funny," Lorelai answered with a smile. Luke tried to keep himself from smirking and asked about his friend's smile. Shaking her head, the brunette replied, "I just feel like her kid sometimes, ya know? I mean I'm not, obviously."

"I get it. But, you're right. It's late. Do you want me to pick you both up at the inn?" Luke questioned knowing he was going car shopping the next morning. Smiling, Lorelai replied, "If you don't mind. I was thinking heading out around six? Rory can sleep on the way to Hartford. I just figured with traffic and sales, the roads will be packed."

"Do you know what time the dealer opens?" The man questioned. Lorelai shrugged.

"Lorelai," He admonished. Rolling her eyes, the woman replied, "I know. I should have called, but it will be okay, right?"

"Lorelai, it takes twenty minutes to get to Hartford on a regular day."

"And an hour with the rush," The woman theorized adding, "I better get Rory and head out. See you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Luke replied.

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