A/N: Thanks so much to by betas iheartbridges, sosmitten, and greenlineprods. You guys all helped immensely.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

Pink

October, 2005

"Yes! I get to see you in shorts!" Lorelai said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"We can go somewhere warm, but that doesn't mean you get to see me in shorts," Luke replied as he continued his way around the diner clearing off tables.

"I'll get to see those white chicken legs of yours parading around the beach." Lorelai sat down at a stool at the counter just as Luke came around behind it.

"No you won't, and I don't have white chicken legs." He said gruffly, leaning over the counter.

"Oh yes you do, mister," Lorelai replied, pointing her finger in his face. "Those legs never see the light of day. It's a wonder they're not see-through. Maybe they are and I just don't know it because the only time I see them is in the dark… and yes you will."

"Lorelai…" he said in a warning tone.

This was the conversation Luke and Lorelai had when deciding on where to go for their honeymoon. At first, they were apprehensive about going on a honeymoon. They wanted to, but Lorelai was nervous about leaving the Dragonfly for so many days, it still being a fairly new business, and Luke was equally uneasy about leaving Caesar and Lane in charge of the diner. But Sookie and Michel assured Lorelai that running the Dragonfly without her for a week was no problem, as did Caesar and Lane about the diner.

Once that was settled, they couldn't wait to get away together, to have a whole week to themselves with nothing to worry about. It didn't really matter where they went, as long as they could relax with each other, enjoy being newlyweds, and do whatever they pleased without having to be anywhere at any particular time.

They decided on somewhere in the U.S., and narrowed it down to the east coast. But south of Connecticut, so they would be guaranteed warm weather in October.

"Florida could be nice. They've got beaches and stuff, and we can stay somewhere near Disney World!" Lorelai had said excitedly.

"No. No Disney World."

"Come on, Luke! I have to introduce you to Mickey Mouse."

"No, I am not going to spend my time at a place that caused the tearing down of acres and acres of land in order to put in a bunch of stupid amusement park rides, exhibits that make no sense, and is the home to stupid, happy happy characters skipping around and freaking out all the little kids."

Lorelai laughed. "Thank you."

"Luke was puzzled. "For what?"

"I didn't really want to go to Disney World; I just wanted to hear you rant about it." She smiled mischievously.

------------

The honeymoon was nothing like either of them expected. They both had always thought of honeymoons as times when newlywed couples went away together to do little more than lounge around in bed, order room service, and make love for a week before they had to get back to their real lives and work. But this was not really how it went, and it was more realistic, and better that way. Of course, they spent a lot of time in bed enjoying each other, but there were also breakfasts on the balcony overlooking the ocean; pink, orange, and yellow sunsets to watch; and days spent at the beach enjoying the sun and each other's company.

"No, you are not wearing jeans," Lorelai exclaimed, wide-eyed at Luke as they prepared to go to the beach.

"Um, I think I am," Luke answered

"No you're not! Who in the world wears jeans to the beach?"

"Apparently I do," he answered.

"Well, fine, but don't complain to me when you've got sand all up in your pants."

And there was one night when the beach was secluded, the moon was shining and glittering off the water and it reminded Lorelai of the night Luke proposed. After a little persuasion on Lorelai's part, and the skillful use of her new bikini, she convinced Luke to make love to her on the beach. Afterwards, when their breathing had slowed, and they had returned to earth, Lorelai scooted up higher from her perch on his chest and kissed Luke and congratulated him for committing the ultimate public display of affection.

He dropped one of her curls that he had been twirling around his finger, and started to get up, his eyes darting around the beach, his cheeks turning pink, visible even in the dim light of the glowing moon. "What! Are there people around?"

Lorelai kissed him soundly on the lips. "Calm down! There is no one around. It's dark, the beach is completely deserted and we are hidden really well. Plus, this blanket is really huge. If someone were to walk by and see us, they'd probably just think we were a couple of teenagers making out."

Luke rolled his eyes, and after a few moments of silence, of listening to the wind and the calming, rushing noise of the waves, he started to squirm around.

"What's wrong? Lorelai asked, looking at him in amusement.

"Stupid sand," he replied, "How does it have the ability to… get… everywhere?" he asked, motioning vaguely with his hands.

Lorelai giggled. "I don't know, but I'm having the same trouble here. Let's do something about it."

After hastily getting dressed between the two beach blankets, they gathered up their things, and quickly returned to their hotel room, and promptly jumped into the shower together.

"Conserves water," stated Lorelai with a smirk.

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early September, 2006

Lorelai knocked on Sookie's door one Saturday morning, and then proceeded to do, what looked to the untrained eye, like 'the pee-pee dance' until Sookie opened the door. "Hey, come on in!" Sookie greeted her wearing an apron, wiping her hands on a towel and opened the door wider to let Lorelai in.

"Is Jackson here?" Lorelai asked as soon as Sookie closed the door.

"Um, no, he's not. Why? And what's the matter?"

Lorelai continued to nervously fidget. "Good. I need to talk to you. Alone. Girl Talk."

"Oooh, Girl Talk! I love Girl Talk! Sit down. Want some coffee? Or cookies? I just baked them this morning, and they're amazing, if I do say so myself."

Sookie started skittering towards the kitchen until Lorelai called out, "Not now, Sook! I need to talk first. Then we can commence with the cookie-ing and the coffee-ing."

"Alright." Sookie sat down on the couch next to Lorelai. "Okay, so what's up?"

She hesitated for a second and then blurted out, "I think I'm pregnant!"

Sookie's eyes widened and her hands immediately flew to her mouth. "You're-- you're pregnant?" she squealed, and Lorelai's nervous smile grew wider at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Well, I just think I am; I don't know yet."

"What did Luke say when you told him?"

Lorelai paused. "Ummm..."

"You didn't tell him yet? Why didn't you tell him yet?" Sookie asked with her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Because I don't even know for sure yet and there's no need to get him all freaked out if it's not even true." Lorelai cast her eyes down to the couch and was tracing the patterns that she found there with her eyes.

"Honey, why do you think he'd freak out? Not in a bad way, right?"

Lorelai sighed and looked back up at Sookie. "I don't know. Before we got married, we talked about it, and we both said we'd like kids together someday. And I know it's been almost a year, but things have been crazy, and we haven't really talked about it since."

"Lorelai, Luke loves you, and he'll love the child you have together. Even if the timing isn't the greatest, he's not going to freak out. And as your best friend, I think I have the right to point out that you're not getting any younger. This might be a good time to have a baby."

Lorelai sighed, "Yeah, I know. Ticking biological clock, and all that." She paused before adding, "But it's all just a huge surprise, and Luke's not always that good with surprises."

"Well, honey, I think you need to go home right now, and tell Luke. I think you guys need to talk about this together, you need to take a pregnancy test, and then go from there. Everything will be fine."

"But what about the cookies?" Lorelai pouted.

Sookie giggled. "Go."

"Okay."

"And call me later. I want to know how it went," she said, as Lorelai exited Sookie's house.

"Will do."

------------------

Lorelai opened the diner door with a flourish, and without stopping, she breezed past Luke, motioned to the stairs, and continued up them to his old apartment, which was now actually an office again. He met her inside within a few seconds and closed the door behind him.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Um, I have to talk to you about something," she stated nervously, pacing back and forth while wringing her hands.

She noticed the confusion and worry cross his features as he nodded and guided her over to his old couch to sit down with him.

"Luke... umm... okay... you know how before we got married we talked about having kids someday? That it was something we both wanted?" she looked at him and was encouraged by his small nod. "Yeah, well, I wasn't sure what 'someday' meant. I mean does that mean in a few years, or a few months, or right about now...?"

Lorelai saw a number of emotions run across his face until he was basically unreadable as he calmly, but with a slightly shaking voice started, "Lorelai... what--"

"I think I might be pregnant, Luke." She tried to hold his gaze, but anxiousness overtook her, and suddenly, her fingers were incredibly fascinating to her as the silence in the room grew to almost deafening heights.

"Luke, say something," Lorelai whispered after what seemed like an eternity. He had his arms around her in a fraction of a second, and then spoke softly as he soothingly rubbed her back. "Okay, have you taken... um… a pregnancy test?"

"Um, no, not yet," she answered into his shoulder.

He pulled back from her a bit and looked at her. "Well, why don't you get one from Doose's, and take it right now?"

"If I get it from Doose's the whole town will know!"

"Lorelai, who cares if the whole town knows? We are married. We can have kids whenever we want. I just want to know whether or not you're really pregnant."

Lorelai nodded. "Okay. I'll go get one right now."

"Do… ah… do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no. Not necessary." she smiled slightly, and ran her fingers over his cheek. "I'll be right back."

-----------

Soon, Lorelai returned to the office above the diner. Walking in, she smiled tentatively and shook the paper bag containing the pregnancy test. "Here it is."

Luke swallowed and nodded slightly. "There it is."

"Well, I'm gonna go take this… I'll be right out," she said with a slight tremor in her voice.

"Oh yeah, sure. Take your time, I'll be out here." He gestured at her to go into the bathroom, and he took a seat on the couch to wait. He didn't know why it was all so tense and weird. They should be elated. This could be their first child together. He should have jumped for joy, and wrapped her in his arms and congratulated her the second that he found out that it was a possibility. But there was a strange vibe. Lorelai was so nervous, and he really didn't understand why. They had talked about the topic of children once, and both agreed that they wanted a child together. And it's been almost a year that they've been married. To Luke, it seemed like a good time to have a child.

The creaking of the bathroom door pulled Luke out of his thoughts. "Hey."

"Hey, just a couple of minutes." She stood outside the bathroom door awkwardly.

"Okay. Come here." He gestured for her to come over to him, and she sat sideways in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, breathing in his scent and feeling comforted already. He tightened his arms around her, and after a short pause, spoke soothingly to her, "You know I'm okay with this, right?"

She was still for a moment, then he felt her nod her head against him.

"Hey, look at me," he urged gently. After a moment, Lorelai lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "Really, Lorelai, however it turns out, I'm fine with it. Just relax, and we'll know in a minute."

She was comforted by his words and the honesty she saw in his eyes, but the tension of the past few hours was still weighing her down, and she sighed heavily and leaned her forehead against his.

After a few minutes of waiting together, Lorelai glanced at her watch and realized that it was time to check the pregnancy test. She took in a shaky breath. "It's time," she said softly, and they both got off the couch together and walked to the bathroom hand in hand, to check on the test together.

"A pink plus sign… um, Luke, we're going to have a baby," she said, standing completely still and staring at the test.

Luke unsuccessfully tried to hide his happiness until he gauged her reaction. "Wow. Wow. This is… Wow."

Lorelai was silent for a few more moments, and Luke began to feel nervous. She doesn't want this. Thinks it's too soon, that we're not ready for this... these thoughts, and many similar ones began whirling around in his head. But when she turned to him, threw her arms around him, and kissed him, all negative thoughts subsided with the growth of his smile, and he couldn't help but laugh and pick her up a few inches off the ground and swing her around.

She continued to hold him tightly when he returned hr feet to the ground. "Luke, I'm so sorry that I was so freaky before. I just… it's just… it's real now, and I didn't know until it turned real how much I really do want to have a baby. Now."

"Well, I kinda think you have to wait nine months first, but—."

Lorelai hit him playfully on the shoulder. Luke gently caught her wrist and pulled her to him in a tight embrace, neither could hide the huge smiles from their faces.

------------------------------

"Yeah, so this girl, who had just walked into class wearing nothing but a pink towel…"

"What?" Rory asked, wide-eyed and laughing, slapping her hand on the table.

"Yeah, she walked into class wearing nothing but a towel. But that's not the best part. Wait until you hear what the professor said…" Marty was cut off again by a laughing Rory.

"Wait, wait… wooo, okay, finish th—." Rory, was cut off this time by her ringing cell. The caller ID informed her that it was Lorelai calling, but Rory figured she'd call her back later.

"You're not gonna get that?"

"It's my mom. I'll call her back later," Rory said, placing her phone back into her purse, "Finish the story!"

"Ok, so, she drops her towel, and was completely naked…"

"Eww!"

"And my professor sa--," Marty was interrupted by Rory's ringing phone again.

"Huh, it's my mom again." Rory opened the phone and answered, "Mom, is everything okay?"

"Oh…hi! Yeah… great! Everything's really good. How's the first week of classes going?"

"Pretty good, Marty and I are sharing some first-day stories." She paused for a moment. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Great, actually."

"Okay… is Luke okay?"

"Luke is great too." Lorelai was now having trouble hiding her excitement.

"Mom, what's going on? You sound like you've had a gallon of Starbucks Sumatra dark roast."

"No, it's better than the strongest coffee on earth… it's a baby."

"Whoa. What? A…what?"

"Get ready for a little brother or sister, because he or she will be here in another 8 months or so."

Rory let out a squeal, and Marty continued to stare at her with a look of amusement and confusion. "You're pregnant? Mom, you're pregnant?"

"Yeah, I am. We found out yesterday."

"I'm so happy for you! Is Luke freaking out?"

"If by freaking out, you mean working 12 hours a day to put an addition on the house, then yes. But seriously, I think he's glowing more than I am. You'd think he was the one who was pregnant. …Well, there was some strange tension when I told him about the possibility of me being pregnant, but as soon as that test came out positive, he's been… giddy. I'd never in my life thought I'd see Luke giddy."

Rory was grinning like an idiot. "Aww Mom, I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, kid! Well, I've gotta go, but I just couldn't wait to tell you. Tell Marty I said hi."

"I will. Hug Luke for me, and tell him I said 'congratulations'."

--------------------------------------------------------------

January, 2007

Lorelai was on her way to her doctor's appointment for her next pregnancy check-up. Luke had wanted to come along more than anything, since the ultrasound would reveal the sex of the baby. But he was stuck with the lunch rush at the diner. Caesar was sick, and Lane was off playing with the band in New Hampshire. Luke wanted to close the diner for a few hours, but Lorelai convinced him otherwise—that it wasn't a big deal if he wasn't there, that even though she'd love it if he could be there, she totally understood.

All afternoon, every time the bells above the diner door rang, Luke looked up, hoping it was Lorelai, curious to find out whether they were having a boy or a girl.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she breezed into the diner, a huge grin on her face; she grabbed his wrist, dragged him into the storeroom with her, and stood in front of him. "Luke, it's a boy!"

A huge grin spread across his face. "It's… a boy? Really?"

"Yeah! I can't wait; I can dress him up just like his daddy in flannels and backwards baseball caps,"

"Ah, jeez…"

"And you guys can go play catch in the back yard, and we can all go fishing together, because a son's gotta fish with his dad."

"We?"

Yeah."

"You're going to fish?"

"Well, I can watch anyways, but I'll definitely want to come along and hang out with my two favorite guys."

Luke smiled at this picture of his future family… just like his own as he was growing up—he, his dad, and his mom going fishing together on weekends. Liz usually didn't come along. She was too busy with her own friends, but some of his best childhood memories were those Saturdays spent at the lake with his parents, and he was thrilled to think that in a few years, his son would be old enough, and the three of them could hang out by the lake, fishing, and picnicking.

"Earth to Luke!" Lorelai snapped her fingers in front of his face.

He jumped out of his reverie. "What?"

"You were spacing out."

"No, I wasn't," he scoffed.

"Yes you were." She giggled and knew exactly what he had been thinking about.

She walked over to him, kissed him on the cheek and said, "You're cute."

He rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling.

After a moment of letting it all sink in, Luke reached out his hand to touch her round belly.

Lorelai watched him curiously. "It seems even more real now, doesn't it?"

Luke spoke softly, with his hand and his eyes still remaining on her belly. "Yeah, it does. Now we know that he's a 'him' and not just an 'it'." His eyes met hers now, and he leaned in for a soft, slow, lingering kiss.

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Early May, 2007

"Mom, try to hold him in for at least another week," Rory whined into the phone.

"Rory! I want him out! Now! I will do my best to hold him off, but if he's born during finals week, don't blame me."

"I just really don't want to miss this. I want to be there, in the hospital, just not in the Delivery Room because I'll probably puke, plus Luke will probably be in there anyway… but I want to be there, outside that door so I can hear my new baby brother cry for the first time, and then come see you two right away, and make sure Luke hasn't passed out during the birth…"

Lorelai giggled. "Yeah, I'm not too sure how well Luke's gonna handle it either, but he says he wants to be there in the delivery room with me." She sighed. "You know I want you there, but school comes first. Your last final exams of your college career are important."

"I know, I know… well, I have to get back to studying. Marty and I have a study date tonight before dinner. Make sure you call me as soon as you go into labor."

"Well, since I'll probably be screaming and clutching at my stomach, I'll have Luke call you the minute I go into labor."

Rory laughed. "Okay, love you, mom."

"Love ya, kid. Study good."

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Did you know that floccinaucinihilipilification is a real word!"

"Have you been reading the dictionary again?" Luke asked, moving around the couch to kiss Lorelai hello.

"Well, this permanent bed-rest thing for the rest of my pregnancy isn't so fun especially when you're off running your business all day, and Rory's off getting ready for her last finals of her college career, and I'm left here with the latest issue of Cosmo that I've already read three times this week, and it's of no benefit to me because I can't even try out the sex tips right now!" she kicked a leg out, and sank into the couch in frustration.

Luke sat down at the end of the couch, and Lorelai shifted to lean against him, throwing the pink blanket over him so that they were both covered by it.

Luke draped one arm around her shoulders, and gingerly placed his other hand over her enlarged belly. "Soon, this little guy will meet the world, and you won't be stuck on this couch anymore."

"But I can't possibly wait any longer!" she whined. "I know! It would be awesome if I could somehow transfer him to you, and you could carry him around for the next week until he's ready!"

Luke snorted, "Uh, I don't think that's possible. But if it was, I'd do it."

Lorelai gasped. "You'd seriously do that for me?"

Luke smiled. "No. It would probably have negative physical ramifications, seeing as I am a man, and a not built to carry a baby."

"Ooh! You could be like a Seahorse—the males are the ones who get pregnant and give birth after the females deposit her eggs into his pouch! I've been watching too much of the Discovery Channel."

"I agree," he said with a disgusted look on his face. "And thank god I'm not a Seahorse."

-----------------------------------

One week later,

Yale graduation day,

May 19, 2007

"Lorelai, I can't get ahold of Rory."

"She… ouch! Probably has her phone… ow! Shit! …off. The ceremony starts soon." Lorelai had gone into labor, on Rory's graduation day, no less.

"I'll leave her a message. Let's go."

"No, I want to go to Rory's graduation!" she whined as she tried to get out of bed.

"Lorelai, you're in labor! We have to get to the hospital. Plus, you wouldn't have been able to go anyway, since the doctor had ordered bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy." Luke was helping Lorelai out of bed, and they were slowly heading toward the bedroom door.

"But… but… ow! But the doctor would have never known! And Rory's been working towards this her whole life. We have to be there!" She took the stairs one at a time while holding onto Luke for support.

"I'm sure your mother probably hired a professional photographer to videotape this thing, so you'll be able to see it some other time."

"But what about Rory—she wants us there!"

"I'm sure giving birth is a good enough excuse to miss your daughter's college graduation."

------

Richard and Emily proudly watched their granddaughter graduate from Yale. They watched with delight as Rory's name was called along with all of the other G-named graduates in her row who stood with her.

Since they didn't expect Luke and Lorelai to be attending graduation because of the doctor's orders, they definitely weren't expecting to hear about the events unfolding a few towns away.

At the end of the ceremony, Rory came running to her grandparents with Marty in tow. Richard and Emily simultaneously enveloped her in a hug, but before they got to truly congratulate her, she had wriggled from their grasp and exclaimed, "Mom's in labor! Luke left me a voicemail. Let's go!"

She said goodbye to Marty and promised to call him later to let him know that everything had gone okay, and the three Gilmores took off toward Litchfield Hospital.

"Oh, hey everyone!" greeted Sookie, who had already been in the waiting room, "Lorelai's doing fine, Luke's in there with her, and the little one should be born within a matter of minutes."

All waited nervously and excitedly in the waiting room until shortly, a nurse came in and asked for family and friends of Lorelai Danes, and informed them that a healthy baby boy was born, and that he was now getting to know his mom and dad.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"I proved my theory wrong," Lorelai said softly, smiling.

"What theory is that?" Luke asked, stroking Lorelai's hair, and watching his newborn son in her arms.

"That baby boys wouldn't smell pink."

"What?"

"When Rory was born, she was the cutest pink all over. She even smelled pink… and I always wondered if baby boys would smell… blue or something."

Luke chuckled. "You're crazy, do you know that?"

She gasped sleepily, "I am not! Pink for girls, blue for boys! That's how it's always been!"

"Okay, so our son doesn't smell blue..."

"No, he smells pink… I guess all babies smell pink… it's my new favorite color." She said, smiling down at baby William.

"Mine too," he said softly, watching his son wrap his tiny fist around one of Luke's fingers.