Scraped Knees and Band-Aids

Author's Note: This is part of my new Luke/Rory father/daughter series "Because I Knew You". Some parts will fit in with the actual episodes, others will be AU. For the most part, each chapter will be stand alone.

I want to thank my amazing beta xphilehb not only for looking this over but for constantly encouraging me to write.

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Luke stood wiping down the counter. The lunch rush was long over. It had actually been a rather slow day, and he felt his attention wander to the children playing outside. The young Kim girl was playing some game or another with a little girl that Luke had never seen before. The two girls were laughing over something, and Luke couldn't help but smile himself.

As children go, Lane Kim was one of the few that Luke didn't mind hanging around. She'd always try to sneak into the diner when her mother wasn't looking, and she would then proceed to beg him for any form of junk food that was readily available. Usually, she would get what she wanted. Luke couldn't say no to that little ball of energy, especially after she would tell him the new health food of the week her mother had bought in bulk. Even Luke, a healthy eater himself, thought her mother was a little excessive, and he would sneak Lane a doughnut or a brownie across the counter. She would probably be coming in soon looking for a quick sugar rush.

Anticipating her arrival, he took out two brownies – one for Lane and one for her friend – and added sprinkles. While preparing the treat for the girls, he almost missed seeing the one girl trip and fall to the ground. Luke didn't hesitate for even a moment. He raced outside of the diner to where a worried Lane was hunched over her friend.

"Is she okay?" Luke asked as he knelt down by the crying girl.

"Luke!" Lane exclaimed. "We were just playing, and she fell."

Luke nodded. "I saw." Lane's friend had pulled her knee to her chest and held it clasped between her two small hands. He gently pulled her hands away to reveal her scraped knee. "Hey," Luke said softly, pulling the girl's attention away from her injury. "You're going to be fine. Nothing a Band-Aid won't fix."

The child wiped her teary eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Luke assured her. "Is it okay if I fix it up for you?" The girl nodded in response. "What's your name?" he asked as he scooped her up into his arms to carry her into the diner.

"Rory," she told him.

"And where are your parents, Rory?" he questioned, entering the diner.

She suddenly looked panicked. "Mom's at Doose's. Lane and I were supposed to be good while she bought things for our movie night. She's going to be mad at me."

He placed her on one of the stools. "Why? Because you fell?"

Rory nodded. "I promised that I would behave."

"She's not going to be mad because you fell. It was an accident," Luke stated.

Lane nodded in agreement, taking a seat next to her friend. "You're confusing your mom with my mom. Your mom will buy you a Barbie Band-Aid."

Rory laughed.

Luke smiled, glad to see Rory laughing despite her scraped knee. "I don't have any Barbie Band-Aids, but I can put a plain one on it until your mom can replace it with Barbie." He grabbed his first aid kit from behind the counter.

"Okay. Thanks Mister..."

"Luke. You can call me Luke," he told her. He held up a cloth that he had put some antiseptic on. "This is going to sting a little, but it will keep this little scrape from becoming infected. Can you be strong for me?"

She nodded in resolution. "I can be very strong." She winced as the damp cloth made contact with her knee, but she kept still as Luke cleaned out her wound. "I did it," she announced as he placed the Band-Aid on her scrape.

"Yes, you did," Luke said smiling at her. He handed her a napkin to wipe away the rest of her tears. "Now how about a little treat?"

The girl's face lit up. "Really?"

"I have two brownies sitting over there that I believe have yours and Lane's names on them," he said, already heading towards the two plates he had prepared earlier. He placed one in front of each girl.

"Thanks, Luke," the girls said in unison.

Luke smiled. "Just don't tell your mother," he directed at Lane.

"Are you kidding me? She'd never let me in here again." Lane took a bite of her brownie. "And she just bought about twenty pounds of tofu."

Rory made a face. "That's gross." She took a bite out of her brownie. "This is really good, Luke. Mom would love these." Her eyes widened. "Mom! She won't know we're in here." She moved to hop off her stool.

Luke stopped her. "I think she knows." Luke pointed outside where a young woman was busy talking to Miss Patty. Miss Patty was pointing towards the diner, no doubt telling Rory's mother what had transpired. "That's your mother, right?"

"Yes," Rory confirmed.

Luke pulled out another brownie and placed it on a plate. "Do you think your mother would like a brownie?"

Rory nodded enthusiastically. "She loves chocolate!" Rory announced just as her mother rushed into the diner.

"Rory! Love of my life! Are you okay?" she asked, dropping her bags from Doose's and hugging her daughter close before examining the injury.

"Luke helped me," Rory told her mother, pointing her finger at the flannel-clad man behind the counter. "He gave us brownies, and he has one for you."

Lorelai looked at Luke and smiled. "Thank you, Luke."

He gave her a nod. "Brownie?" he offered.

"Add in some coffee, and you've got yourself a new customer," she responded.

He grabbed a mug, filled it with the dark liquid, and placed it in front of her. She downed it in one gulp. "Take it easy," Luke warned.

"You are talking to Lorelai Gilmore, coffee lover extraordinaire." She held up her mug. "Can I have some more of your fabulous coffee?"

"This stuff will kill you," he insisted, but he poured her a cup anyway.

She just shrugged and took a sip before turning to the girls. "You two ready for our sleepover? We've got plenty of junk food and movies."

"Can we watch Willy Wonka?" Lane inquired.

"What is movie night without Willy Wonka at the helm?" Lorelai replied.

"Mom just wants to see the Oompa Loompas so she can swoon over them," Rory said.

"Hush you," Lorelai shushed. She gave Luke a smile. "I just think they're kind of cute."

"Yeah, that's it," Rory stated sarcastically. "And that love song you wrote them was just a stage?"

"I think it's time for us to go," Lorelai announced, ushering the girls towards the door. She turned to Luke. "How much do I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it. First time's on the house as long as you come back again," Luke told her.

Lorelai flashed him one of her brilliant smiles. "You can count on that. I wasn't kidding when I called your coffee fabulous." She gave him a small wave. "Thanks, Luke. For everything."

Luke watched the girls exit the diner. He started to clear away their plates when he heard the bell above the diner door jingle. He looked up just in time to see Rory rushing across the diner before she wrapped her arms around his waist. Her action caught him off guard. When he finally came to his senses, he patted her awkwardly on her back.

Rory looked up at him and grinned. "My knee feels a lot better."

"That's good."

"Mom says we can come back tomorrow," she informed him.

"I'll be looking forward to it." He leaned down so he was eye-level with her. "Do you like chocolate chip pancakes?"

"I love them!"

"How about I make you some tomorrow for breakfast?"

She gave him the same brilliant smile her mother had given him earlier and nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Luke!"

"Bye, Rory," he said, watching her run back out the diner door. As it turned out, Lane Kim wasn't the only child Luke didn't mind having around.

Fin.

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