Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I have any association with the Gilmore Girls or any of its characters. Dreaming about them is a totally different thing...

Chapter 2

"Luke's sister Liz and her son Jess were released later that day," Patty continued her story. "Luke wanted to see Lorelai one more time and possibly exchange numbers with her, but there were no opportune times. When her parents finally left her room, Luke and his family were already leaving. So, poor Luke went home to Stars Hollow with an overwhelming sense of sorrow. He dreamt of her every night and woke up sadly because he may never see that beautiful, crazy woman ever again. Little did he know, his dream was about to come true."


1984- Gilmore Residence, Hartford, Connecticut

Lorelai sat in the nursery as she put Rory to sleep. It'd been a month since she had her precious little girl and since she last saw Luke Danes. She often found herself thinking about the man that held her hand as she brought her daughter into the world despite the fact they didn't even know each other for more than twelve hours. She even tried looking him up, but there was no listing of a Danes family in Hartford or three of the surrounding counties. After putting Rory down for her nap, she headed to the kitchen for something to eat when she heard her parents arguing.

Richard and Emily Gilmore were prominent members of society in Hartford. They were both Yale alumni. Richard went into the insurance business and Emily was his stay at home wife. But don't count Emily out just yet. She was a member of the DAR- the Daughters of the American Revolution- among other dignified societies. Lorelai didn't get along with either of her parents. Though she and her father barely spoke, Lorelai liked him better than her mother. A horrible, yet true fact. Maybe it was because they barely she liked and got along with him better. As where her mother always put her two cents in. And Lorelai hated it.

Among the many subjects to pick a fight about, Richard and Emily chose their favorite and most common one- Lorelai. They were getting ready to go to another function when they began the argument. Richard was already tired and irritated from work, but it didn't stop Emily from complaining to her husband about their daughter's irresponsibility. She droned on and on about how Lorelai never put away the stroller and car seat and the messiness of her room.

"Emily!" Richard yelled. "Just tell Lorelai to put the baby's things away and clean her room. I just got off of work, I'm tired, and I do not want to deal with this right now."

"She won't listen to me. Do you know how frustrating it is to get her to do something you want?"

"Do you know how frustrating it is to train a teenager that has no business in the insurance business to help run a very important company?"

"Why are you angry at Christopher? You were the one that wanted him to work with you."

"Christopher is a child. He is a child training to do a man's job."

"He has a baby."

"He's a child with a child."

"None of this would have happened if Lorelai hadn't gotten pregnant."

"Well, there's nothing we could do about that now is there? We have to deal with this situation like a business. We need to focus on it and figure out what is best."

At that very moment, something in Lorelai's mind snapped. Lorelai like her father more, but that was a low blow. That's all she and Rory were to them. A business. But they wouldn't be their "business" anymore. She realized she couldn't be in that house anymore. She had to do something. She had to leave. Lorelai hurried back up the stairs to her room and immediately pulled out her duffel bag. Once she heard her parents yell up the stairs that they were leaving, Loerlai began to pack. She grabbed her clothes and shoved them into her bag.

Once it was full, she grabbed another bag and ran to the nursery. She did the same with Rory's clothes, diapers, and toys as she did with her stuff, shoving them into the bag as quickly as she could. She brought the bags downstairs and then went back for Rory and her stroller/car seat. She scribbled a note to her parents and walked out the door. Lorelai wasn't sure what she was doing or where they were going as they waited at the bus stop. All she knew was that she needed to get away from that house. When the bus arrived, she paid her fair and took a seat.

"Excuse me, bus driver," Lorelai called.

"Yes ma'am?" the bus driver asked.

"Where is this bus going?"

"Stars Hollow."


1984- Stars Hollow, Connecticut

"I'm not gonna go," Luke stated as he packed up his tools and shut his toolbox.

"Why not?" Kevin Gleason, his best friend, asked.

"I've got too much to do. There's school, practice, work, and Lizzie needs help with the baby."

"School sucks. Practice is easy. Skip work. And Liz can take care of Jess. There, problem solved."

"I'm still gonna pass."

"Is this about Rachel? Come on man. You guys broke up six months ago." Luke just glared at his friend as he wiped his hands. "Oh. I see. This is about her."

"Can we not talk about this again?"

"If you liked her, why didn't you just get her number?"

"She was going through labor. There wasn't exactly a good time to hit on her."

"Was she hot?"

"Kev! She was pregnant!"

"Was she?"

"She was. Damn it. Why do I always screw things up? Why am I so screwed up? I mean, hitting on a pregnant woman? Who does that? Other than you. I must be really desperate."

Kevin put his arm around Luke and shook him. "Yeah. You are."

"Please stop touching me."

"And do you wanna know what the cure for being desperate is?"

"No, but you'll tell me anyway."

"Going out and partying with your best friend! Come on. Go out. Get laid. When was the last time you got laid my friend?"

"Ah jeez. You're not gonna buy me a hooker are you?"

"You kidding me? They're expensive."

"You'd know. Man, she was beautiful. She had chestnut hair that was slightly curled. She was funny. Actually made me laugh."

"No kidding."

"And her eyes. Oh God, her eyes. She had the most amazing blue eyes I'd ever seen. I tell ya, she looked like an angel."

"And you could have loved her like a devil."

"And I screwed it up. I didn't get her number, didn't find out where she lived. Leave it to me to do something incredibly stupid."

"Well, you do hit on pregnant women." Luke threw the rag at Kevin before heading to the front desk of the inn.


Lorelai stood on the sidewalk as the bus drove off. She looked at the building in front of her. The Independence Inn. What other choice did she have? It was freezing and she needed to get Rory inside. She pushed the stroller toward the building and stepped inside. Mia heard a baby crying and looked up. She watched as the teenage girl walk over to the front desk with a baby in her arms. "Can I help you?" Mia asked sweetly.

"You wouldn't happen to have any job openings would you?" Lorelai asked.

"What kind of job are you looking for Miss…"

"Gilmore. Lorelai Gilmore and this is Rory. It doesn't matter what job. I'll take anything."

"What experience do you have?"

"None."

"None?"

"Please. I really need a job. I don't have any money or a place to go. I can't go back home. I don't want my daughter to live like they want. I'll work for room and board. I'll park cars or wash dishes or…"

"That's enough," Mia said, raising her hand to silence the girl. "I'll hire you."

"You will?"

"Yes. I will. And don't worry about room and board. There's a pottery shed out back you can stay in. It's just big enough for the two of you. And don't let it discourage you. It's a cozy little thing."

"Thank you. Thank you so much. I'll work hard. I promise."

"I know you will."

Then she heard it. Lorelai heard that familiar voice. "Leave me alone," Luke said in the distance.

"You're being stubborn again," Kevin remarked as he and Luke walked through the double doors.

"And you're being annoying so quit." Luke stopped in his tracks when he looked up and saw Lorelai, causing Kevin to run into him.

"What's the big…" Kevin trailed off when he saw Lorelai. "Hot damn."

"Lucas, there you are," Mia smiled. "I'd like you to meet my new maid, Lorelai Gilmore. Luke and his father fix things for me." Luke was too shocked to respond. "Is something wrong Lucas?"

"He's frustrated," Kevin chimed in.

"Shut up," Luke said to his friend.

"Sexually," Kevin said to Lorelai so Mia wouldn't hear.

"I said shut up Kev."

"He met some girl in Hartford a while."

"Kevin. Seriously, before I kick your ass."

"He wanted to…" Luke turned around quickly and punched Kevin before he could finish his sentence. Kevin staggered back from the blow. "Jesus! That hurt!"

"Why is it that I have to beat you up to get you to listen to me?"

"Crazy bastard," Kevin mumbled as he regained composure and rubbed his chest. "I think there's gonna be a bruise."

"I never thought I'd see you again," Lorelai remarked.

"I guess fate had other plans huh?" Luke laughed. "Is that…"

"Yeah."

"She's getting big." It dawned on Kevin. She was the girl.

"Yup. You wanna hold her?"

"Not that's alright. Uh, Mia, the stove's fixed and the shelves are up. I'll be back tomorrow to fix the washer and dryer, install the replacement water heater, and change the light bulbs. If you don't need me to do anything else, I guess I'll be going."

"Lucas, why don't you be a gentleman and bring Lorelai and Rory's things out to the pottery shed?" Mia suggested. "They'll be staying there for a while."

"She's gonna stay in your bachelor pad?" Kevin laughed.

"One more word and I'm going for the nose," Luke warned.

"I gotta get home anyway. See you around."

Luke waved to his friend then helped Lorelai bring her bags out to the pottery shed.

"So, it's your bachelor pad?" Lorelai teased as they headed outside.

"No. Kevin's just weird. A few years ago, I needed a place just for myself. My sister and my dad were always at each other's throats and I had to get away. Mia let me turn the shed into a little place of my own." Luke put the bags down to open the door. "Well, here we are. It's nothing fancy. There's a bed, shower, stove, closet. The essentials. Maybe someday I can come over and show you how things work."

"I think I can turn on a shower."

"I didn't mean...I just meant…"

"I was joking."

"Oh. Right. Sorry. So, how'd you end up in Stars Hollow?"

"I don't know. I just got on a bus and here I am. Maybe you can show me around town."

"Oh, yeah. I can do that. I'll be here a lot so I'll probably run into you or something."

"Yeah."

"Or I can give you my number and you can call me when you wanna see the town."

"We can do that too." They stood in silence.

"So…I should get going. I have homework and…stuff." Luke turned around to leave.

He was just about out the door when Lorelai called. "Luke, wait."

"Yeah?" he asked, facing her.

"I thought you were going to give me your number."

Luke smiled. "Oh yeah. I was." He walked back into the tiny house and wrote his phone number down on a piece of paper. He walked back home with a smile plastered across his face.


Present Day

"And that, boys and girls, was just the beginning," Patty said.

Kevin Gleason, Rory thought. She, like many others, only knew about him through stories told by those who knew him best. The most coming from his best friends Luke and Jackson Mellville and Kevin's youngest and oddly favorite brother: Kirk.


A/N: Ever wonder why Kirk is so clingy to Luke? Well, this is one scenario. Pay attention. You may think you know, but you don't. Well, you're smart. Maybe you do.