A.N.- I know it has been a while since I updated, but I am back now, and hopefully, you still enjoy it!
Disclaimer- One of these things is false… My boyfriend recently admitted he likes Gilmore Girls, I have way too much time on my hands, and I own Gilmore girls. Can you spot the facts from the fiction?
Chapter 17- Life is Full of Surprises
It had been three months since the girls stayed up all night and talked about what had been, and all that was to come. The time seemed to fly by and the months were marked with milestones in every ones life. Ellie took her first steps and added mama, and nah-nee (meaning Lorelai) to her vocabulary in addition to no and thank you which came out more like tee too.
The Inn was doing so well it was featured in a hand full of travel magazines and it was booked through the winter months and spring was filling up fast not an easy feat for a new Inn but word of mouth and good press go a long way. The added security gave Lorelai the resources she needed to hire on more staff, including Rory who after much resistance accepted a job working along side her mother in what Lorelai was happy to call the family business. With the added volume of clients and press Lorelai found her-self in need of a spokes person of sorts, someone who would be able to field questions for articles, make up fliers and other ads and maintain her new favorite thing the Dragon Fly in online page. She couldn't think of anyone better than Rory for the job and after a lot of coaxing and adding another five dollars an hour to what she was making at the paper Lorelai had her girl.
It seemed that no matter what was going on in their lives it was a family affair. Time spent and memories made were the first order of business for all of them. Family first, everything else second the way it was supposed to be. They fell into a routine, and a comfort zone that made it easy to just sit back and relax and let their garden grow. The family topic as of late, was Luke and Lorelai adding the pitter patter of little feet to the now quite house they lived in. Spending time with Ellie and loving her and each other so much made it easy to decide to try to have one, and see what happened.
Little did Luke know as he and Lorelai sat at the counter of the diner playing with their one-year-old grand daughter, she had some big news she was waiting to share.
"Who's that?" Lorelai asked pointing at Luke.
"Papa." Ellie squealed as she patted his face.
"Good job, who's that?" Luke said pointing at Lorelai.
"Nah Nee." Ellie said clapping.
"Good job." Lorelai said. "Who's this?" She said pointing at Ellie.
"El El." She said.
"Who am I?" Kirk said wanting to join in on the fun.
Ellie stuck out her tongue and blew making a noise that made her squeal in delight.
"Sorry Kirk we haven't worked on Kirk with her yet." Lorelai said picking her up.
"What is taking them so long?" Luke said gesturing to the upstairs apartment.
"Who knows. She better hurry up, we have a lot to do at the Inn." Lorelai said with a smile. She was so glad when she was able to offer Rory the job at the Inn. She had always envisioned the Inn as a family business the way it had been with she and Mia in the early days and she loved nothing more than when Rory helped at the Inn when she had free time. It took a little, well, admittedly a lot of coaxing on Lorelais part to get Rory to agree to work for her, but once Lorelai justified the need for a public relations rep to Rory and proved to her that the Inn was pulling in more than enough money to pay her more than the newspaper was she caved and now ran all the promotions for the Inn. From their new web site to magazine publications and advertising Rory took care of it all, and Lorelai could focus on her guests and enjoying her Inn again. In addition to the extra pay, flexible hours and her mom being her boss, the job also allowed her to bring Ellie with her and leave her with the newly added day care provider for the Inn. In addition to taking on Davey, Ellie and Sookies new baby Katie, she watched the guests children when they wanted to take part in activities that weren't suitable or conducive to children.
It was the perfect balance and in addition to loving her job, Rory was still very happy with Marty who had been more and more a part of she and Ellies life. Though he technically had a place at Yale he spent as much of his free time if not all of it in Stars Hollow with she and Ellie. In fact, Lorelai was beginning to wonder if his lunch time visit today was what keeping her daughter at the moment.
No sooner had she thought it than they heard the noises from her apartment apartment. At first it just sounded like someone had flopped something down on the bed. Then it sounded like someone was repeatedly dropping something on the bed. Then to Lorelai's horror came Rory's voice though not completely clear, Lorelai could add up the facts.
Luke looked at her and she looked at him with a look of mortification on their faces.
"If, we can hear them…" Luke said looking at Lorelai.
"They could hear us down here…" Lorelai said thinking back to the times they spent in that apartment during business hours and shooting a questioning look to Kirk.
"Oh yeah, we could hear it." He said matter- of-fact returning to his lunch.
"Lorelai, do something." Luke said looking around at the few customers that remained in the diner.
"Like what?" Lorelai said.
"Go tell them, stop this." Luke said.
"How?"
"Just go up there."
"Honey, what is the harm, I mean they don't have a lot of time without Ellie there." Lorelai said trying to defend her daughter.
"I can't listen to my…ahh…to Rory…" He raised his voice then turned and lowered it. "Having sex."
"Oh…that." Lorelai whispered. "Fine, but if she never speaks to me again it is on you." She said handing Ellie over to him.
"Rory!" Lorelai called as she walked up the stairs in the diner. "Rory honey." Lorelai said again as she reached the door and knocked.
The squeaking bed stopped.
"Uh…" She heard Rory's flustered voice come from behind the door.
"Just a sec mom, hang on…" She pleaded with her mother from the other side.
"Take your time hon." Just then she heard a crash and Marty's voice swear as Rory shhhed him.
"It's okay Marty, if Rory thinks I don't know that you are both in there scrambling for clothes then, she doesn't realize who her mother is."
"Mom!" Rory called again as she opened the door, hair a mess and shirt buttoned crooked.
Lorelai couldn't help but laugh, she knew how it was, she'd been there herself. You get a little time without your child around and you go for the gusto.
"We should really be getting back to the Inn, we need to finish getting ready for the photo shoot." Lorelai said through her snickers.
"Oh, right, uh let me change and we will be right down." Rory said.
"Sure thing hon." Lorelai said as Rory closed the door again. As Lorelai turned she couldn't resist to sing a few bars. "Sky rockets in flight…afternoon delight…" She sang as she heard Rory yell at her again from up stairs.
As she emerged from behind the curtain she snickered again as she heard them arguing about whether or not she heard them.
"Ahh…thank you." Luke said kissing her and handing Ellie back over.
A few moments later Rory and Marty emerged from behind the curtain dressed and ready to go, Marty's eyes glued to the floor. Rory walked straight over to Lorelai and took Ellie from her, hoping to use her as a deterrent.
"All right, are we off then?" Rory said hoping to avoid the embarrassing situation that Lorelai would be so tempted to mock.
"I don't know, are we?" Lorelai said.
"Mom!" Rory screeched.
"What? What, why are you mad…oh…you thought I meant…ha…good one…but I didn't even think about it. Ha. I just meant are you ready. You thought I meant…ha…that's great…dirty…but great." Lorelai snickered.
"All right. Let's go." Rory said walking towards the door. "I don't want to be late."
Lorelai turned to Luke and kissed him on the cheek.
"See ya later honey. Pick you up at 6:15." She said as she walked toward the door.
"For what?" Luke joked pretending he didn't remember that it was Friday, and he was in for a night of fun at the Gilmore house.
"For…" She almost snapped at him but she saw him grinning and knew that he was just toying with her.
"See you tonight." He said as he waved and went into the kitchen.
Luke stood on the front porch of their house waiting for Lorelai at 6:20, he knew with traffic there was no way that they were going to be on time and he could hear Emily now. It was another ten minutes later that Lorelai and Rory pulled up.
"It's about time, what took so long?"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." Lorelai said as she got out of the Jeep and went around to the passenger side.
When they got back into the Jeep Lorelai explained over Ellies cooing, that the new night manager (who Michel in true Michel fashion hated) was late and then Ellie spilled all over her new dress forcing them to have to change her into a dress she had nearly out grown and the whole fiasco took up the extra time.
"It's fine really, I just was hoping to not have to hear from your mother again how we need to leave with enough time to allow for traffic but not so much time to arrive too early and pose an inconvenience to your host." Luke said and as he babbled on he kind of trailed off like a soldier telling a war story.
"Okay, hon, it's okay, she can't hurt you any more." Lorelai said shooing him along.
They arrived at the Gilmore house that night just a few minutes late, thankfully there was little traffic and Luke sped as much as he would with Ellie in the car. Luke didn't worry too much though his favorite thing about his granddaughter was her ability to take the focus off of everyone else when they went for dinner on Friday nights. As they rand the bell Ellie giggled with glee, she loved the sound of the bells.
Emily opened the door.
"Right on time, I am impressed." She said as they filed in the house.
"Yeah, we were cutting it close there for a while, but there wasn't very much traffic…" Luke started to tell her. He realized half way through his thought that she had already walked away and was gushing over Ellie.
"Look at how big you are." Emily cooed at Ellie as she took her from Rory.
"Mom it has only been a week she couldn't have grown that much." Lorelai said as she followed into the living room.
"Richard, they are here." Emily called as she sat with Ellie on the love seat.
"Hello everyone." Richard said as he entered the room and went straight over to Ellie.
"Don't worry Dad, Luke will get the drinks." Lorelai said sarcastically.
"Oh well thank you Luke." Richard said not noticing that she was kidding.
Luke looked at Lorelai and they shot each other looks before he finally got up and started to pour the drinks after losing their look fight.
"Yes, that's pretty isn't it…" Emily said as Ellie pulled on her necklace.
"Ellie, no, be gentel." Rory reprimanded her daughter.
"She is fine." Emily said not taking her eyes off Ellie.
"That is a two carrot diamond on that necklace, your daughter has expensive taste." Richard said.
"Just like her Grandmother." Luke added.
"Well, and her Great-grandmother for that matter."
The women glared at their respective men and the point was made.
"So dad how are things?" Lorelai said trying to carry the conversation.
"Business is good." Richard asked.
"And mom?"
"Things are good. Rory, I think it might be time to take Ellie shopping again, she seems to be getting a little too tall for her dress." Emily said.
"She will be fine for a little while longer I think. She had another dress but she spilled all over it before we came so she had to be changed." Rory said.
"She only has one dress that fits?" Emily questioned.
"No it was just…" Rory knew she was losing this battle.
"Mom, really she has plenty of clothes you don't need to buy her more." Lorelai said.
"Nonsense we can go tomorrow." Emily insisted.
"I don't know grandma…"
"My treat." Richard interrupted before Rory could decline.
"Dad, Rory can afford the clothes she just doesn't think that she needs them now." Lorelai said defending both her daughter and the amount of money that she paid her each month.
"I am sure she can Lorelai, that is why it is called treating…because it is unexpected…a pleasant surprise." Richard said.
Emily put Ellie down and she toddled about the room making her mother and Lorelai both nervous. The Gilmore house wasn't exactly baby friendly.
"That is nice grandpa thank you." Rory said though she was beginning to grow tired of their constant need to 'treat' she and Ellie to things that they didn't really need.
"Diner is served Mrs. Gilmore." Hattie, the new maid announced.
Thankfully the rest of dinner was normal and quite, they discussed the same five topics they always did, Ellie, Luke and Lorelai, Marty and Rory, Work, Travel, and their meal. No one seemed to notice that Lorelai abstained from both her before and after diner cocktails and by nine thirty they were heading home.
The drive home was quite, as it normally was, Ellie would fall asleep in her car seat within seconds of them driving and the rest of them would talk quietly or not at all on they way home. Tonight it was a not at all kind of night. While there was no real drama with the grandparents that night, the experience always seemed a bit grating on everyone regardless to their mood, or the topics discussed. It seemed to them, that Lorelais parents would never understand her families happy simple life.
They pulled up outside the diner a little past ten and Lorelai helped get Ellie upstairs and to bed, while Luke checked and made sure the diner was closed down to his specifications.
"She is getting heavy." Lorelai said after laying Ellie down in her crib.
"Yeah maybe you shouldn't be carrying her I didn't even think about that." Rory said out of no where.
"What do you mean? Why shouldn't I carry her, I am not old and decrypted, I just said she was getting big."
"Because, you shouldn't lift heavy things, when you are pregnant." Rory came back at her mother.
Lorelais eyes nearly popped out of her head. How did she know that?
"How did you know that?" Lorelai asked as she pulled her daughter over to her couch to sit down.
"So you are!" Rory said hugging her then slugging her arm.
"Owe what that for? And yes, I am."
"The hug was for my new brother or sister, the punch was for my mom who didn't even bother telling me."
"I didn't want you to know. I haven't told Luke yet, I am going to the doctor on Monday to find out for sure, I just don't want to get his hopes up you know? I didn't want to get yours up either. It is bad enough that I have mine up." Lorelai said. Rory looked at her mom and smiled. She knew how badly she wanted a baby, and how hard she and Luke had been trying.
"How did you know? I mean do you think he knows too?" Lorelai asked.
"Tonight, you didn't drink at all, before or after dinner, you didn't touch your cocktail, and if there is one thing you live for when we are at the grand parent's house it is the cocktails." Rory said.
"So you think he…" Lorelai started to ask again.
"He has no clue." Rory said.
"Can we keep it that way? I really don't want to disappoint him." Lorelai said.
"Your secret is safe with me." Rory said as she walked her mother to the door and gave her a hug and kiss good-bye.
"Bye hon." Lorelai said.
"See you tomorrow." Rory said.
"Breakfast?" Lorelai asked.
"No I will probably grab something at the Inn." Rory said with a smile.
"You aren't working tomorrow are you?"
"Just for a while, I have some things to finish up." Rory said with a smile.
"Do you need me to take Ellie?" Lorelai asked.
"Nah, Marty will be here a little later tonight and he will watch her for a couple of hours." Rory said. "Go on, go get some sleep, enjoy your day off tomorrow."
Lorelai walked down the stairs and found her husband wiping off the counter, his tie hung loose around his neck and the top buttons of his shirt undone. He smiled when he noticed her looking at him, and she walked up and put her arms around his waist.
"Everything okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, Rory just wanted to have a little girl talk." Lorelai said. "Sorry for making you wait."
"No big deal, after the first eight years of waiting for you, any wait now, is a cake walk." Luke said turning to face her and give her a kiss.
"You look like you have something on your mind." He said as he looked her in the eye.
"It's nothing, I am fine, just Inn stuff." She lied.
"Okay." He said. "Are we ready to go?"
"Yeah." She said. "Let's go do something." She insisted.
"Like what?" Luke said.
"I dunno, lets go to a midnight movie or something." Lorelai said pulling him out the door.
"Aren't you tired?" Luke asked his wife.
"No, I am wide awake." She said with a smile.
"So movie?" He asked.
"Movie." She confirmed, knowing that if the pitter patter of little feet were on the way that the times for spur of the moment decision making was fading fast.
"We're off." Luke said as he put the Jeep into drive and headed back to Hartford.
It was two fourteen a.m. when Rory's cell phone rang. She jumped from her bed to answer knowing it was probably her mother and hoping that it wouldn't wake Ellie. She was wrong on both accounts. Ellie began to cry as she picked up the phone and answered to an unfamiliar voice.
"Miss Gilmore?" The voice asked.
"Yes." Rory said her heart leaping out of her chest, she knew that no good news came from strangers at two a.m., as Marty got up to take care of Ellie, Rory sat on the edge of the bed and listened as the woman on the other end of the line told her about the car wreck that her mother and step-father were involved in. She began to shake as the woman asked her to come to the hospital as soon as she could.
Her eyes were full of tears when she hung up the phone.
"What's wrong, what's the matter." Marty asked rushing over to her.
"Mom and Luke were hit by a drunk driver in Hartford." Rory said.
"That can't be right, they dropped you off and went home hours ago." Marty said.
"They much have decided to go back for some reason." Rory said crying as she got dressed as quickly as she could.
"Are they okay?" Marty asked.
"I don't know." Rory said. "They said it was bad." Rory said in a trance like state. Marty could tell she was in shock and she would not be able to share the details of what she had just been told. He was pulling on his shoes to go when she spoke again.
"Oh my God Marty…" Rory said.
"What?"
"My mom, told me tonight, she thought she was pregnant." Rory said terrified that the baby would not be okay.
Marty took her in his arms and hugged her close.
"It will be okay. I will call the hospital and let them know." Marty said picking up the phone.
"No, I will, you call my grandparents." Rory said not wanting to trust anyone even Marty with her siblings possible existence.
Marty heard Rory crying to the nurse to let the doctors know that her mother might be pregnant, as Richard picked up the phone.
No good news came at two a.m. and this night there was no exception to that rule.