AN – Thank-you all so much for your reviews, there great. I know this is big and very different to not have Lorelai in it, but I want to try. In response to a few questions out there, Mia was the owner of the Independence Inn and took in Lorelai and Rory when they first arrived in Stairs Hollow. And Rory's middle name is Leigh.

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"Rory!" Luke called as he and Mia entered their house.

"We've got a guest"

"Who?" Rory called walking out from the kitchen.

"Mia!" she shrieks and runs towards her hugging her tight. Tears starting to form in her eyes as she hugged the women she loved like a Grandmother. Mia reminding her of her mother so much, so many memories.

"Oh sweetie" Mia soothing the teen, rubbing her back, holding her tight letting her cry it all away. Luke walked into the kitchen giving the women time to be together, in the Nursery he could hear Rosey making little wining sounds, he entered the room and stood beside her crib looking down at her. Even tho he had only been out for a couple of hours he had missed her. She was so much of a connection to her mother, sometimes he loved this, and other times it was heartbreaking. He would look at his daughter and the feelings of lose and love and sadness would flow over him, all over again. He picked her up, rocking her back and forth in his arms.

Back in the entranceway, Rory had finally gotten herself back together. She looked at Mia, feeling of love and sadness in her eyes.

"Oh Mia I'm so happy to see you"

"Oh my poor girl' said Mia holding Rory's hands. "I'm happy to see you too".

"How are you holding up?" she asked

"I'm…alright I guess…I don't really know how to feel, how I should feel"

"You feel anyway you want to ok?"

"Ok" said Rory a little smile appearing on her face.

"So where's this little sister of yours I've heard so much about" she asked walking with Rory through to kitchen.

"Here she is" said Luke appearing in the doorframe of the Nursery, Rosey in his arms. Mia walked forward to him, looking down at the baby girl.

"Oh Luke she looks just like Lorelai" she said, a sadness in her voice.

Her smiled weakly at her. "You wanna hold her?" Luke passed his daughter over to Mia, who for him was a strong connection to his own parents. Mia smiled down at the little girl

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Mia stayed for dinner that night, Luke cooked and the night lacking strongly in conversation, due to loose of the lively conversation usually initiated by Lorelai. Rory had also become quiet withdraw since her mothers death. She was already a bit of a bookworm, but now nearly all her time was spent reading. I guess reading other peoples lives distracts you from your own.

Mia tried as best she could to be cheerful, but it broke her heart to see two people she felt so deeply for hurting so much. Her herself was also feeling the immense pain of loosing the women she had thought of as her own daughter.

A knock at the door echoed though the silent Gilmore house. Luke stood up and walked through the archways to answer it.

"Luke" Taylor greeted him jollily

"Taylor" Luke greeted him in his usual manner.

" I was wondering if I could talk with Mia for a minute"

"Mia?"

"Yes Mia, she is still here isn't she?"

"Yeah she is, hold on a minute" He closed the door a little and walked back into the kitchen. Why did Taylor want to talk to Mia?

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Lorelai's funeral was the next day, reluctantly Rory dressed in her best black clothes. She didn't want to go and have all those people there, she just wanted…she just wanted her mum back.

Luke changed his daughter into some nice clothes, half wishing he didn't have to go to the funeral, he just wanted to forget… but he couldn't forget her, he could never forget Lorelai and deep down he never wanted to.

Nearly all the town had turned out, Rory, Luke and Mia, with Rosey stood at the side of the grave. The priest said some kind words, about how much she had been loved in the town and would be dearly missed. Emily and Richard stood quietly too the side, Emily sobbing into a hanky. And someone else was there, he sunk in the back and stood and watched as his first love was buried, was gone.

Long after the funeral had finished and people had payed their respects and left, Luke Rory and Rosey still stood there. Rosey now asleep in her stroller, and Luke with his arm around Rory's shoulder he just cried, he let himself cry, in front of Rory, in front of Rosey. Rory giving Luke a big hug, burring her head in his chest to hide her own tears.

After a little while they started to walk back towards town, never saying anything, just letting each other feel their grief.

"Rory" a man called her name from the side of her. She turned and saw her father walking towards her. She quickly turned and continued walking with Luke and her sister.

"Rory!" he called out more desperately running to catch up with her.

"Rory!" he said grabbing her shoulders.

"No!" she screamed at him, tears again falling down her face.

"No!" she screamed wrapping her arms around herself, Luke stood behind her as a warning to Christopher.

"Rory I just want to help…" he started to say.

"6 days Dad! She died 6 days ago! And… and you weren't here, you were never here, and I no longer want you here, go leave me alone! I don't need you!" she yelled at him, letting out all her anger in a very un-Rory like way. Chris stood there shocked and Luke pulled Rory into him guiding her away from her father. She was shaken was giving such an emotional outburst, and Luke, her and Rosey walked home to their house, all just wishing this pain would go away.

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A couple of days later Mia had persuaded them all to leave the house, they walked through the town together. Luke walking beside Rory who was pushing her little sister in her stroller, and Mia walking slightly ahead. Mia lead them towards Miss Patty's, as they manoeuvred the stroller up the stairs, Rory could hear slight noises coming from inside. Mia opened the door.

SURPRISE!

At least the whole town must have been packing into there, a huge banner across the top read – WELCOME HOME ROSEY. Balloons, streamers, food and drink everywhere and in the corner were a huge pile of presents. Mia smiled gently at Luke and Rory who stood still talking taking in what the town had done for them.

Rosey starting to cry, having been slightly shocked by the surprise, Patty ran over quickly picking up the little girl and rocking her, she was soon surrounded by many people wanting to see the baby. Luke and Rory mingled with the crowd, hearing many comments on how beautiful Rosey was, and how much she looked like Lorelai and how much they would all miss Lorelai. Luke had never been a huge fan of the town and their huge events, but he was so grateful to have the town, it was like some huge extended family, and he was beginning to feel a little less alone, just a little. Rory stood at the side of the room taking in the scene in front of her, just the kind of town event her mum would have loved. Her mind automatically went to things that she and Lorelai would have mocked. Kirk trying to get the sausages to stay on his plate, Taylor arguing with Andrew about something. She quietly snuck out needed to be away from all that for a little bit. She walked over to the gazebo and sat on the bench, just sat there, not thinking just …being.