This is my second foray into the GG fanfiction world, and will be multiple chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Gilmore Girls. That is the brain child of the fabulous Amy Sherman- Palladino.

Enjoy!

Luke looked up when he heard the bell to his diner. Seeing the curly haired brunette who had accosted him a few weeks ago and given him a fake horoscope, the man soon glanced over to his coffee pot. Satisfied there was a little over half a pot to pour for the woman, Luke was notably surprised when the brunette asked him worriedly, "Have you seen my kid?"

Unaware she even had a child, the flannel shirt wearing diner owner groused while pointing to a birthday party, "Most of them are over there."

Looking over, the woman took one glance at the group before saying, "She's not there. I don't even know those people."

Biting her lip, she added, "All I wanted to do was show my daughter the town square. She starts kindergarten in the fall and I decided today, since it was my day off, I would get her more accustomed to the town. Maybe have fun at the park? Ugh! I turned my head for a minute and–"

Taking pity on the woman, Luke cut her off.

"Look, why don't you give me her description and I'll tell you if I've seen her," The diner owner offered. Sighing, the brunette answered, "She's about yay high."

Luke took note when the woman placed a hand at the middle of her thigh. Listening intently, the coffee addict added, "She has brown hair and the prettiest blue eyes. She was wearing a pink sweater with blue hearts on it and her favorite flower pants."

After seeing the man's eyebrow raise, she explained, "She's four and decided to dress herself today and I decided not to put up a fight this time. Anyway, she's four and her name is Rory."

"Rory," Luke repeated as he tried to place the child described to him. Noticing the woman's anxiety, Luke poured a cup of coffee and placed it in front of the woman. She smiled a small smile.

"You remembered," She teased. The owner merely rolled his eyes before working again. As his customer drank her coffee, Luke actually took notice of his other customers only for the sake of the little girl described to him. Not seeing her, Luke almost said something to the brunette who sat at his bar nursing her beverage when his cook called him to the back.

"Boss, there's a kid back here," The cook told the other man when they were both out of earshot from the customers.

"What?" Luke questioned as he poked his head inside the supply room door. Not seeing anyone, the owner stared his cook down.

"Honest! She's in one of those good hiding spots right next to the ice machine and those shelves you had installed last month," The cook explained. Deciding to believe his employee, Luke cautiously tiptoed into the supply room and became conscious to the sound of crying. Not good with children, Luke bent down to the child's eye level.

"Are you Rory?" He asked awkwardly. The child nodded cautiously. Glad to have the correct child hiding in his supply room, Luke questioned, "What are you doing here?"

The four year old shrunk further into her spot. Taking his cap off and rubbing his hand through his hair, Luke stood up and told his cook, "Caesar, tell the woman at the front counter with dark, curly hair that I found her kid."

Nodding Caesar left the area. Treating the girl as he would his nephew, Luke looked back at the child and asked, "Are you okay?"

Rory nodded. Nodding back, the man added, "What's your mom's name?"

The girl stayed silent. Sighing, Luke began to stand up again when Rory called out softly, "No!"

"Look, I have a diner to run," He began, but faltered once he saw the scared look in the four year old's eyes.

"There isn't anyone there. Just a dollar fifty," Caesar stated as he came back in. Hearing her mother left, Rory began to shed tears. Grumbling, Luke got up and ordered his cook to stay with the child before running out of the diner. Spotting the woman he talked to earlier, Luke gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"I found your daughter," He stated once the woman turned around.

"Rory! You found her? Thank- you," The brunette smiled as she tried not the cry. Trying not to be taken in by her smile, Luke's gruff attitude caused him to add, "You should probably come get her. I don't want people to think I run a game of hide and seek or something on the weekends."

Luke then turned toward his diner and walked toward it as the brunette followed behind him. Taking her to the supply room, he watched as the mother bent down next to her daughter and hugged her tightly.

"Don't ever do that to me again, Rory. Okay? You scared Mommy to death," The woman stated as she lifted her daughter from the floor and the four year old wrapped her legs around the older woman's waist. Turning toward Luke, the mother smiled.

"I'm Lorelai."

"Well, I'm glad you found her safe, Lorelai," Luke commented as he filed the woman's name in his memory. Lorelai stroked her daughter's hair as she whispered, "Thank- you."

"Anytime," Luke answered softly. He led the mother and daughter to the door ignoring the looks a few customers gave him as he began to work again.

Walking back toward their home, Lorelai kept a close eye on her daughter. Noticing the girl's abnormally quiet demeanor, the mother asked, "Are you okay?"

The four year old stayed quiet for a moment before speaking once they left the town square.

"I thought a lady was you," Rory mumbled trying not to cry. Bending down and drying her daughter's tears, Lorelai soothed,

"Oh, honey. It's not your fault. I should have been watching out for you."

"The diner guy found me," The child murmured. Nodding, Lorelai answered, "We'll have to find a way to thank him. But, now? How about we go home, okay?"

In their small home in the potting shed, Rory fell asleep, exhausted by the day's events. Lorelai, thankful for Luke finding her daughter, wondered how to repay the man. Stroking her daughter's hair, the brunette fell asleep herself dreaming about a certain diner owner.

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