Story Title: Strong Ties Can't Be Broken

Summary: With a baby coming, one toddler, and a pre- teen daughter Tristan is at his breaking point. Things aren't

going as planned. Hilarity ensues. This is the sequel to Second Chances.

Pairing: Rory/Tristan, Lorelai/Luke, and Jess/Cory.

Rory was passed being tired. There were so many things to do and so little time to do them in. Tristan was helping in any way

that he could. But he wasn't always there. Maddie was pulling her own weight plus helping take care of her brother. Jake

didn't make things easy for any of them. He was only two. Who holds a toddler accountable for their actions? He didn't

know any better.

With Rory being home by herself for a good part of the day Jake and the dog made her their primary target. It was like the

two of the conspired together to torture her. She was cleaning up Jake's latest mess when Maddie walked through the front

door. She dropped her book bag and walked down the hall to help Rory up.

"Bless you."

"What happened?"

"Your brother smeared his lunch all over the wall in the kitchen. While I was cleaning that, he somehow got into your dad's

whiteout. I should have put the gate up." Rory said frowning at the white glob smeared on the hardwood floor.

"I'll take care of this. Where's Jake now?"

"I put him down for a nap."

"And Jack?"

"In the kitchen licking what I didn't clean up from off the floor probably." Rory said with a sigh.

"Go sit down mom. I've got this."

Rory gave her a grateful smile before walking down the hall. She wasn't complaining; she loved her little boy, even if she didn't

always like the dog. But if she weren't nine months pregnant maybe she wouldn't feel like she wasn't pulling her own weight.

The phone rang pulling her from her thoughts. She reached over the back of the couch to pull it off of its receiver when Maddie

came into the room. Rory sat down gingerly on the couch before turning the phone on.

"Hello?"

"You really need to think of a cool nickname for your house."

"Hey mom."

"Hey hon. How ya doin'?"

"Okay I guess. I'm just counting down the days before I have this kid."

"How many more?"

"Fourteen days."

"Well you're the one who decided that you wanted Jake to have a baby brother."

"What was I thinking? I could have waited."

"Yes, but it's a little late for that now."

"When are you coming?"

"I'll be there next week; with your brothers in tow."

"Great. I miss them."

"Just be glad that they know not to cause trouble."

"Luke retrained them?"

"Yes, he foiled my diabolical scheme. Can you believe that?"

"Tell him I said thank you."

"Tristan isn't home yet?"

"No, he's in court today, than he has another case to get ready for. He won't be home until at least ten."

"But Maddie's there right?"

"Yes, my eleven year old savoir is here."

"Give her a hug and a kiss for me. Tell her to look after my baby and grandson."

"Yeah? Well your baby looks like she's about ready to pop." Rory said affectionately rubbing her belly.

"I don't care how many babies you have. You'll always be my oldest baby."

Rory smiled knowing that her mom meant it. It helped that her mom would be there in a few days to help. It would be a little

crowded, and the boys would be sharing a room with Jake, but Rory didn't think that they would mind.

She hung up a few minutes later once she heard Jake calling for her. She struggled to get up from the couch and waddled down

the hall. She checked on Maddie before continuing down the hall. Maddie looked up from her homework as Rory passed.

They smiled at each other before Rory stopped at Jake's door.

"Momma." Jake said with a smile.

"Hi baby." Rory said affectionately.

"Adie?" Jake said patting her belly as she picked him up.

"Yes, Aiden is still in there." She said with a nod.

Rory put Jake down and he took off like a rocket. He could be heard in the bathroom as Rory walked back down the hall.

He came to sit next to Rory as she turned on the TV.

"Did you wash your hands?"

"Uh huh." He said with a nod.

She kissed his forehead before running her fingers through his blond hair. He got lost in the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and

all of his friends while Rory worked on something for work. Did she really think she could handle work and two kids under

the age of three? Megan made it look so easy, while she was at her wits end. Tristan knew that she was stressed and she

knew he was too, but there wasn't much that could be done until after the baby was born.

She noticed the dog sitting on his haunches in front of her. He was just looking for the right moment when she wasn't paying

attention to jump up on the couch.

"Don't even think about it." She said giving him a warning glare.

Jack laid down resting his head on his front paws by her feet. She went back to work hearing Maddie in the kitchen.

"Mads?"

"Yeah?"

"You aren't making dinner are you?"

"I was about to." She said sticking her head out the door.

"You shouldn't be making dinner. You know your dad said you were too young. I'll order pizza." Rory said saving what she

had on her computer.

She ordered the pizza on-line since Maddie was on the phone. Maddie had a lot of responsibility for an eleven year old. More

than Rory had had at that age; then again Rory had been an only child at the time. She had been meaning to talk to Tristan

about easing up on her. He expected too much of her, and yet he still treated like the six year old Rory had met almost five

years ago.

Keys could be heard jingling in the door and Jack and Jake ran towards it.

"Daddy!" Jake said wrapping his arms around Tristan's legs.

"Hey you." Tristan said picking Jake up with one arm and rubbing Jack behind the ears with his free hand.

"Hey dad." Maddie called from her room.

"Are you on the phone?"

"Yes." She said innocently.

"She just got on it." Rory said defending her.

Tristan gave her a playful look before plopping down next to her.

"Whose side are you on?" He asked jokingly.

"No one's, I'm Switzerland. Remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He said rolling his eyes.

"Yeah mom." Jake said copying Tristan.

The fact that Jake looked exactly like Tristan didn't help things. They always ganged up on her thinking that if they were cute

she would let things slide. It worked, but not always. This time it did.

"Did you take anything out for me to make for dinner?"

"No. Seeing as I didn't think you'd be home before nine. I ordered pizza; I'm too tired to cook."

"That works. When was the last time Jack went outside?" He asked noticing the dog sitting by the front door.

"A couple of hours ago."

"I'll take him out."

"Hurry, dinner should be here soon."

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Tristan said putting his coat on.

Jake headed down the hall once Tristan shut the door. Rory didn't think anything of it until she didn't hear anything after a few

minutes.

"Jake?"

Nothing.

"Jacob?"

Still nothing.

Rory sighed before pushing herself off the couch. She rubbed her back as she made her way down the hall. Jake wasn't with

Maddie so she checked in his room. He wasn't there either.

"Jacob Dylan Dugray, this is not funny."

Maddie stood in her doorway watching as Rory stopped outside of her and Tristan's room. Jake stood in the middle of

Tristan's closet with a tie hung loosely around his neck and a pair of Tristan's shoes on his feet.

"Aww, honey." Rory said with a smile.

She made her way into the room to pick him up. He gave her a devious smile that always reminded her of Tristan. The shoes

fell off as the front door opened.

"Ror?" Tristan called from the living room.

"In the bedroom."

"Pizza's here."

"Let's get the shoes back on. Then we'll go show daddy."

Jake nodded his head with a smile. It was times like this when Rory was content with the craziness that was their lives. It

wasn't meant for everyone. They tripped and stumbled. But the four of them always got back up. Soon it would be five, and

that was fine with her. Mishaps, wrong turns, and speed bumps included.