"Wake up, baby girl." Lorelai gently whispered.

Rory's eyes slowly opened and focused on her mother's face.

"Good morning." Lorelai smiled. "Happy birthday."

Rory smiled and rose up from the bed. Her eyes immediately sparkled as she gazed around the room. Lorelai had blown up hundreds of balloons, and had put up several decorations. She even had the chef, sookie, bake Rory a beautiful birthday cake.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Rory shouted grabbing her mother by the neck and hugging her. Lorelai laughed, and hugged her daughter back. Rory jumped up and started playing in the gigantic pile of balloons.

"Here." Lorelai said reaching Rory a present. "I know it's not much, but I think you'll like it."

Rory grabbed the present and ripped the paper off quickly. Excitement filled her face when she had uncovered the gift.

"A new backpack!" Rory exclaimed. "It's so cool!"

Lorelai smiled. "Do you like it?"

"I love it! My old one was about to tear apart." Rory joked.

"Yeah, see, that's why a bought you this nice new one."

"Thank you!" Once again Rory grabbed her mother's neck.

"Now, how about some cake?" Lorelai asked.

Lorelai cut each of them a slice of cake, and they both enjoyed it throughly.

"Mom." Rory said licking the icing off her fingers. "I like this better than anything grandma could have done."

Lorelai's heart warmed and a smile crept upon her face.

Years passed. Rory grew into a teenager, and Lorelai finally looked old enough to have a daughter, until someone found out how old her daughter was, then eyebrows would rise, and mouths would open. Nevertheless, Lorelai and Rory fit into their new home. Stars Hollow had become a place full of friends, and loved ones. Mia had decided to move in with her daughter in New York, and therefore gave Lorelai the position of manager at the inn. Sookie and Lorelai had became great friends, and it was the first friend Lorelai had ever truly had. Rory, like her mother, had only one friend herself and that was a tiny Korean girl who lived a few streets down from the inn. It was the summer before Rory would enter high school, and indeed it was a time full of changes for both the two young ladies. Lorelai and Rory both had been going by Gilmore the past 6 years, and for the most part forgotten all about their lives before Stars Hollow. Rory had kept in contact with Richard and Emily over the years, Lorelai however, had only seen them twice since the day they left the mansion. Lorelai and Rory didn't keep involved in many town activities, but when they heard a diner was opening they decided to go check it out.

"Wow. Seems... Small." Rory noted.

"Well, it's a diner." Lorelai replied.

"So says the sign." Rory replied.

"Hmmm..." Lorelai huffed.

"What?" Rory asked.

"That sign says Hardware Store." Lorelai pointed to an old blue sign hanging above the small yellow diner sign.

"Maybe it's both. Rory stated.

"Doubt it. Who comes in to buy hammers, nails, and a slice of pie?"

"A true American." Rory joked.

"Well, are we going in?"

"It'd make more since."

The two entered and was impressed by how many other people had decided to check out the diner as well.

"Business is good." Rory commented shaking her head.

Lorelai and Rory sat down at a table and opened a menu. It was the usual food. Hamburgers, hotdogs, salads. Rory looked around until she saw a man pouring coffee.

"He must work here." Rory pointed.

Lorelai turned around to look and had to give the man a second glance.

"He looks a little rustic. Don't you think? Lorelai said.

Suddenly the coffee man came walking towards them.

"What can I get you ladies?" he asked.

"Well, you can start with coffee... and I'll have a cheese burger and onion rings. As for the young girl I kidnaped and brought here against her will, you'll have to ask her."

The man looked at Lorelai strangely, and slowly poured her a cup of coffee. Rory decided she had better intervene.

"Don't pay any attention to her." Rory commented. "She just likes to be different. I'll have a cup of coffee, a hotdog, and... fries." Rory sat looking up at the man, who stood in return looking at her. "What?" Rory asked.

"You drink coffee?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Cause... I... Well..."

"You're like what 12?"

"14." Rory corrected.

"Uh-huh, well that's still too young."

"Excuse me, officer Hank, last time I checked there wasn't an age limit for drinking coffee." Lorelai interrupted.

"How much coffee do you drink a day?" he asked, looking at Rory.

"I don't know..." Rory stuttered. "5 or 6 cups?" she guessed.

The man's mouth dropped. "What! You drink 5 or 6 cups of coffee a 'day'? Does your mom allow you to drink that much?"

"I do." Lorelai replied.

The man turned around suddenly and blinked his eyes a couple times at Lorelai. "You're her mother?" he asked stunned.

"That's what it says on her birth certificate, though I'm trying to get that changed."

"Why would you want to change that?" Rory asked faking hurt feelings.

"Do you know how hard it is to get an act in Hollywood when people know you have a kid?" Lorelai asked. "I would have been right there with Sarah Michelle Gellar if you hadn't of held me back."

Rory laughed. "Oh, I held you back huh?"

"OKAY!" the man shouted, getting everyone's attention in the diner. "I'll be back with your food in a few minutes.

"He seems a little nosey." Rory noticed.

"And grouchy." Lorelai added. "Hey, do you think instead of just working here he owns the diner?"

"Hmm... maybe... and since the diner is called Luke's, I'd guess his name is Luke." Rory replied.

"Ah, elementary my dear Watson." Lorelai answered. "Hey, yell out Luke and see if he looks." Lorelai grinned.

"What? No way... You."

"Chicken!" Lorelai teased.

"Well, I don't hear you yelling."

"Cause I dared you to."

"Well I dared you back."

"But I dared you first."

"But I double dared."

"Then I take the community challenge." Lorelai laughed. Rory started laughing as well. They always had so much fun together. It felt as if they had grown up side by side instead of one rasing the other. Luke returned with their food and sat it on the table.

"Are you Luke?" Lorelai asked.

"I am." he replied.

"Nice diner." Lorelai commented.

"Thank you." Luke smiled at the girls and then left them alone to eat.