Title: Shelter From The Storm.

Summary: "In starting over we could get some place different." What if Lorelai had found her way to Stars Hollow before Rory's birth?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. I am in no way connected to Gilmore Girls or the WB. I also have no connections to Billie Letts or Twentieth Century Fox. This story idea is mostly my own, although it is inspired by the movie/book Where The Heart Is. (I always thought that there were several similarities between Lorelai and Novalee)

*~*~*~*

In the weeks that followed, Lorelai became bolder and more poised when walking through Stars Hollow. Although she didn't relish the idea of talking to Miss Patty, she no longer tried to hide her presence. And when she was spotted, she would stop and make polite conversation about the weather and how near Christmas seemed and how big her belly had grown. Even Taylor Doose's prying eyes didn't irritate her anymore. One day she had even turned around and stared directly at him until he'd made huffing noises and scurried away.

Not all of her trips into town were made out of necessity though. She had tried to tell herself they were, and that she wasn't just hoping to talk to Luke again. It wasn't that she had a crush on him. She didn't like him like that. But he seemed like he could be good company. Someone to talk to about things less inane than how cold it had been that week.
But the day she had stopped by William's Hardware and bought a box of nails, just so she could talk to him, she knew she had to stop pretending she was there for any other reason. Even Luke had to know she didn't need a box of nails.

It had started to snow in Stars Hollow earlier that week, and it was making her trips back and forth more difficult. Knowing she was there to see him, Luke made an effort to keep her in the store for as long as possible, offering her a drink or trying to make small talk so her visit wouldn't be pointless.

She sat on a wooden stool by the cash register, cradling a mug of hot chocolate in her hands and letting the steam warm her face. She was so cold that she couldn't feel her nose.

"Look at that." Luke gestured over to the window. "They're practicing that ridiculous autumn procession." He shook his head as he scribbled some things down on an order form.

"What autumn procession?" Lorelai asked, shifting in her seat to get a better view.

"It's this dumb thing the town does every year. They find a bunch of idiots with enough free time to traipse around in silly costumes. Last year, Pumpkin number five fell on a patch of ice and broke his leg."

Lorelai struggled to stop herself from laughing out loud, but the look of amusement on Luke's face made it impossible.

"You shouldn't make fun of your neighbors, Luke." His father warned, unable to keep a smile from his own face.

"Sorry, dad."

"Sorry Mr. Danes."

"Luke, how many times do I have to tell this young lady to call me William?" He chuckled as he walked over to them.

"I don't know. I'm not her spokesman. Why don't you ask her?"

Both men turned to look at Lorelai questioningly and she shifted her gaze from one to the other.

"I'll try and remember, Mr Danes." She smiled. "Sorry, I meant to say William."

"That's better!" He urged. "'Mr. Danes' makes me feel like an old man. I've still got a few years left in me yet!"

"Of course you do, dad."

"Now, Lorelai, how about some dinner?"

Lorelai and Luke looked at each other in surprise. She hadn't been invited to their home for dinner before. She would just show up at the store and Luke would idly offer her a drink and she would pretend to be surprised that her would ask, and they would talk until one of them noticed the time or that it was getting dark out, and then she would leave with the promise to come back soon. Soon usually being the next day.

"I don't want to intrude…" She blushed, trying hard to hide her eagerness to stay a little longer.

"You won't be." Luke assured her.

"I'm making my famous lamb chops and mashed potatoes. Nothing like it." William smiled warmly.

"If you're sure?"

"I'm certain." He nodded for emphasis.

Luke and Lorelai smiled at one another and pulled on their jackets. When Luke noticed that Lorelai had no gloves, he insisted that she take his, even though they were far too big on her delicate hands. They waited while William switched off the lights and locked the doors and then the three of them made their way down the street towards the small house Luke and his father shared.

"I'm going to need to put those Christmas lights up soon." William noted as they walked up to the front path.

"Don't bother, you almost fall and break your neck every year." Luke protested.

"You know Taylor will only gripe if I don't."

"Let him gripe. It's our house. You already agreed to decorate the store windows!"

"It's easier to just keep him happy." William pointed out.

"Fine. But I'll put them up this year." Luke conceded.

Lorelai stamped the snow off of her feet and stepped into the house, taking in the new surroundings. It was much different than her parents home. The walls were covered in family pictures. She walked over to get a closer look, smiling more as she took in images of Luke as a young boy. A photo of him holding up a large fish, a wide gap-toothed grin spread across his face, William stood beside him with a proud hand on his shoulder. There was a photo of them, a woman and a young girl stood outside of the hardware store on the day it opened.

"That's Luke's mother." William said gently, standing beside her and looking at the pictures fondly. "She was a wonderful woman."

"Was?" Lorelai asked quietly. William simply nodded.

"And that's Elizabeth. Luke's big sister, but not by much. The only way to tell she was older was from the way she used to boss him around." He chuckled.

"Does she still live here?"

"She has an apartment across town." He nodded. "She lived in New York for a while but…" He paused, his face darkening, a sad look in his eyes. "She came home a few months ago. She needed to be near her family."

Lorelai wondered what sad event had brought Elizabeth back from 'The Big Apple'. Why a young girl would give up a life of excitement in the city to live in a small town.

"Would you help me peel some potatoes?" William asked, his usual cheerful expression slowly returning.

She nodded and followed him down the hall into the kitchen, where Luke was already getting cooking utensils out of cupboards and draws. He handed her a peeler and she sat at the table in front of a pile of potatoes and an empty bowl. Luke and William watched in amusement as she began trying to peel the potatoes, only managing to gouge small chunks out of them.

"First time with a potato peeler?" Luke teased and she glared at him playfully.

"My parents never let me cook. I wasn't allowed in the kitchen." She laughed softly at the mess she had made of the potato in her hand.

Luke sat in the chair beside her and slowly demonstrated how too peel the potato and Lorelai gradually got the hang of it, proud of the small accomplishment she had made. It made her realize how many small accomplishments she had made in a relatively short amount of time. It was a shame she couldn't share any of them with anyone else. No one could know how she was living, or where she was living.

Luke and William pretended not to notice the keenness with which Lorelai ate her dinner that evening, not realizing that it was the first home cooked meal she had eaten in almost a month. She had tried to remember the table manners instilled in her by her mother, but the smell of the lamb chops had almost been too much to take. She'd forced herself to sit up straight and wait for her meal to be served, rather than reaching out and grabbing handfuls of everything and discarding her knife and fork.

After dinner she had helped Luke wash and dry the dishes while William sat at the table and finished some paper work. Then they had sat in the cozy living room by a fire Luke had finally managed to get going.

"Looks like you're stuck with us." William sighed as he pulled the curtains closed. "It's a mess out there. No way you can get back to the Inn tonight."

"I don't want to be any trouble." Lorelai insisted, walking over to the window to see how bad it really was. "I'm sure I can…"

The view from the window made her forget what it was she had been saying. She could barely see anything outside but snow. If she focused she could make out the shape of the garden fence, but the snow was falling heavily like thick fog, and it was starting to get dark.

"Luke, go fetch some blankets and a pillow. You're sleeping on the couch."

"No. I can't take your bed, Luke." Lorelai protested. "I can sleep on the couch."

"Don't be silly. You're…" Luke gestured to her belly.

"I'll be fine. I'd feel much better if you'd let me sleep on the couch." She pleaded.

Luke looked to his father and William shrugged.

"Ok. But if you can't get comfortable…"

"Thank you." She smiled as he left the room to fetch her some bedding.

The couch was more comfortable than the mattress she had been sleeping on. The moment she lay down she felt as thought she could never get up again. In the warmth of the living room, with a full stomach, Lorelai surrendered to the plush couch and quickly drifted off to sleep.