Disclaimer: We don't own anything affiliated with Gilmore Girls, the WB or anything even remotely related to it.

Summary: Just a cute, general story focusing on Rory and Lorelai's life in Stars Hollow before the show started. We both felt there was not enough stories of that sort so we decided to write one.

A/N: We are sorry for the long delay but now we are back on track. Sometimes life gets in the way of fanfic, unfortunately. As always, we hope you like the story and reviews are always very welcome!

Chapter 4:

Lorelai sighed deeply as she looked at her sleeping daughter's form. She had finally been able to get Rory to sleep after she had been so upset about Lane's mother. For the rest of the day Rory was quiet and sad which made Lorelai even sadder than she already was. She knew this whole teenage-pregnancy thing would be no piece of cake, but the incident at Mrs. Kim's store proved that once again. She was afraid how much it would affect Rory. Would little shy Rory with the "she's so young!" mother ever have any friends?

It was still early, but the day had exhausted Rory so much that she was sound asleep at 8 o'clock. With a small smile Lorelai stood up from the chair, covered Rory up completely with her little blanket and left their little shed. She needed to clear her head, maybe get some food and coffee and just think.

As the kitchen at the inn would be very busy at this time of the day, she nixed that idea. She sighed again, maybe a walk around time wouldn't hurt; she could probably hunt down coffee somewhere else. After a few minutes of walking she noticed it was starting to rain. She actually never minded rain, she found it refreshing and comforting. It was no snow, but she thought of it as an adequate substitute. Anyways it rained so little it was barely noticeable. Lorelai did however find herself craving coffee more than before and found herself in front of Luke's Diner. She had been there before, twice actually. Once, well both, times to get coffee. The first time was when she had only lived here for a little while and she had the coffee, it was delicious but Rory had kept her so busy she had returned there only a few months ago. That time it was busy and she had such a caffeine shortage that she bugged the owner, Luke, so much that he was completely annoyed by her. For reasons she doesn't even know anymore, she even gave him a horoscope to convince him to give her coffee.

She smiled, hopefully he didn't remember that. She opened the door looking for an open table. It was pretty full and she didn't like the idea of sitting by herself at a table for four so she went to the counter. The guy she remembered so vividly, with his scruffy look and baseball cap appeared. He squinted at her, "I assume you want some coffee?" She cringed, he did remember her. In a small voice, she asked, "You remember me?"

He poured her some of the comforting dark liquid as she salivated at the aroma. He grinned. "It's not everyday that someone harasses me for coffee and gives me a horoscope." She smiled, drinking it, and remarked in his direction, "Mmm. Still as good as I remembered." Luke nodded as walking away to some other table, "I'm glad."

Lorelai drank the coffee in quiet and then even had a burger and fries. She loved her daughter very much but once in a while it was nice to be out alone. When she was almost done she looked up and noticed the diner to be empty except her. Luke was looking at her. Lorelai was startled at being alone so suddenly. "Hey, um, what happened? Why is everyone gone?" Luke pointed outside, "People wanted to get home before the storm hits and I'm about to close."

Lorelai nodded, "Oh right. I'm sorry for keeping you from closing." She stood up and her hand on the handle when she remembered, "Luke, one thing." He looked up at her expectantly and a little impatiently. Of course, he was still marveling her eating habits. Lorelai continued, "Well, I just wanted to thank you for helping Rory, my daughter this morning." Luke looked very confused, "Your daughter? Wait I'm sorry what are you talking…wait you mean the little girl that fell in front of my store?" She nodded, he stared. "You…you have a daughter?" She was quiet for a little while then nodded defiantly; she wasn't ashamed she never was, "Yes, I do. She is eight years old, and before you ask I was 16 when I had her and I'm not ashamed of her at all!" She turned towards the door when she felt him grabbing her arm, "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that. It was just kind of unexpected." Lorelai nodded, calming down, "I'm sorry too, I overreacted. I should get going. It looks like the rain is coming down harder and Rory doesn't like storms so I should be with her." He called back to her and she was about to leave, "Lorelai?" she turned as he continued, "You're welcome. She seems like a very sweet kid." Lorelai warmed and smiled, "She is. Thanks again."

With that she was gone, it was cold outside and the rain was coming down hard. Quickly she made her way back to the inn cringing as she saw lightning and heard thunder not much later. Rory hated storms; Lorelai hadn't been lying about that to Luke.

She rushed into the cabin, to find Rory sitting up in bed, teary-eyed. Lorelai felt like absolute dirt. Here she was, flirting (had it been flirting? She couldn't say.) and chowing down on burgers and inhaling coffee, when her little eight year-old was trembling. Lorelai swooped in for a hug, but Rory wanted to know more.

"Where were you, Mom?" she asked, her eyes prying into Lorelai's flushed face and coffee-scent. Lorelai couldn't very well lie to Rory, especially after she had left her alone in the thunder, and 'fessed up. "I'm sorry, babe. I needed coffee. I went into that diner, where you had fallen? I wanted to thank the man." She inhaled, slowly, noticing that Rory was calming down a bit. "The nice, nice man. He really likes you, Ror."

The thunder had died down. Rory relaxed. She giggled, and tickled her mom. "No, Mom," she started. "I think he really likes you!"