A/N: I was writing a chapter of Changes and I got this idea. After being bugged by it for a long time and some encouragement from the lovely Megan(LukeandLorelai Brucas Fan-hon, this story's for you), I decided to write it down and post it. I hope you enjoy it.
And 4 months!
Walking into her house, Rory sighed, dropping her purse on a table. It was quiet. Far too quiet. And in a house with a 5 year old, quiet was never good news. Walking to the kitchen, she looked around, not seeing either her husband or their daughter. Spotting the full coffee pot, she smiled. It was always about the small things with him, the coffee waiting for her, the book he'd pick up once in a while, the quotes he'd underline in a book just for her to find, because he'd always claim he would feel stupid saying those things out loud, but that didn't make them any less true. Stepping into his office, home to what looked like half the toys on the planet, she noticed it was empty, his papers still thrown around the desk, no doubt left there when the small almost black haired girl had run up to him, awake from her nap and asked to play.
Sighing again as she went upstairs, Rory opened the door to the little girl's room, finding both of them sitting on the floor, crouched over a small table, concentrating. Coughing once and leaning in the doorway, she smiled as they turned around.
"What's going on here?"
"Nothing, mommy!" The girl announced.
"Yes, nothing, Rory!" Jess chuckled, standing up.
"Dad, why do you call mommy Rory?"
"We've been over this before, kiddo. That's her name." He ruffled her hair quickly before she ran off, hugging her mother.
"I missed you, mommy!"
"Oh, I got three 'mommies' in less than a minute. Whatever it is, it's bad!" Rory laughed, crouching down and kissing the girl's cheek. "What were you and dad doing?"
"We were…uh…dad?" She looked at him, her big blue eyes open wide. Rory hadn't been sure she'd get to keep the color but he kept telling her he knew she would, threatening jokingly to disown her if she didn't. Not that it wasn't obvious for everyone that he had been wrapped around the girl's little finger from the second she was born, just like he was wrapped around her mother's.
"Why don't you show mom the drawing we made for her?" Jess winked at the little girl and she nodded suddenly, rushing back to the table and picking up a piece of paper before handing it to her mother.
"Here! Just for you!"
Picking up the drawing showing the three of them standing in front of their house, Rory smiled, looking back at her daughter.
"So you were drawing this for me?"
"Yes!" The girl nodded, sounding very convinced of what she was saying.
"Just now?"
"Yes!" She nodded again.
"And this is all you were doing?"
"Yes?" She nodded again, this time less certain.
"So would you like explaining to me why you have black marker lines on your hands if you were drawing this for me?"
"Dad?" she looked at her father again, making him shake his head and chuckle.
"I need to teach you to lie better."
"Only if you want to sleep on the couch for the rest of your life."
"Don't worry, dad, mom always says that and she never does." The girl announced, making both of them laugh.
"Wait until you're older, kid, then you can understand this conversation. And be totally disgusted and ashamed of your folks." He smirked again, looking at his daughter.
"Huh?" She looked up at him, slightly confused but he just ruffled her hair again.
"Never mind."
"I still want to know what exactly was going on and, more importantly, who's going to clean it? Because I'm not." Rory grinned, looking at the girl, knowing she was the easiest to break.
"We didn't make a mess, mommy, I promise."
"Just your hands then?"
Looking at her hands, the girl nodded. "I can wash 'em!"
"You better." Walking closer to her husband and daughter, Rory tried to look at the table but Jess stepped in her way, stopping her.
"They're copies. Don't worry."
"Copies of what?" Rory looked at him and he stepped aside, giving her access to the table while both Jess and the little girl were watching her, waiting for her reaction. Picking up one of the pictures from the table, Rory tried not to burst out laughing, looking from one the other. "Ok, whose idea was it to draw a mustache and beard on Kirk in every single one of our wedding photos?"
"Uh…" The girl hemmed and Rory picked her up, looking straight into her eyes.
"Yours or dad's?"
Smiling, the girl kissed her mother's cheek. "I love you, mommy." Leaning closer to Rory's ear, she tried to whisper. "It was dad, but he said not to tell you."
"Snitch." Jess chuckled, moving closer to them, his arm wrapping around Rory's waist. "I really need to teach you how to lie." He announced again, kissing the girl's cheek.
"My threat still stands." Rory grinned, tightening her grip on her daughter, careful not to drop her.
"We're sorry, mom."
"Very sorry." Jess nodded solemnly as well, making Rory shake her head and snicker.
"Yes, you both seem terribly upset over this."
"We are. Terribly." He moved closer to her, getting ready to kiss her but the girl made a face.
"I can see you, you know!"
Shaking his head again, Jess lifted his hand and covered his daughter's eyes, before leaning in and kissing his wife quickly.
"I can still hear!" The girl sighed, now making both of them roll their eyes. Lowering his hand, Jess kissed the top of her head, smiling.
"How about you go get yourself cleaned up while I clean this mess and mom gets started on dinner, smartbutt?"
"Can we get Chinese tonight, mommy?" She smiled, kissing her mother's cheek again.
"I don't know, I think dad should have to cook for helping you make a mess."
"But I don't want to." He pouted, making both of them laugh.
"I live with two five year olds, not just one."
"I'm five and 4 months!" The girl announced, letting go of Rory's neck with one hand and lifting 4 fingers.
"Yes you are. Now go wash that out of your hands. Call if you need help." She put the girl down after kissing her cheek one more time and watched her as she started racing down the halls towards the bathroom. "Slow down, kiddo!" Turning around to look at Jess again, she hugged him, her head resting on his shoulder. "She's so your kid."
"What, you had doubts?"
"It was either you or the upstairs neighbor."
"Never shave or stand too close upstairs neighbor?" He smirked, remembering the apartment they were living in when their daughter was born.
"Uh, one of them." Rory smiled, wrapping her arms around him and moving closer to him. Turning around, she checked to make sure their daughter wasn't coming and leaned in, kissing him. "I missed you today."
"I am very easy to miss. It's my adorable personality, really."
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure that's it." She laughed softly, kissing him again. "I love you."
"Still?"
"Still." She nodded and he kissed her, his hand cupping her face.
"I love you too. Still."
"You're disgusting!" The little girl made a face, appearing in the doorway and Rory laughed, placing a quick kiss on Jess' lips before turning around and looking at her.
"Hands?"
"Clean!" The girl nodded, lifting her arms in the air to show off her still wet hands.
"That is not clean! And what did I say about wiping your hands before leaving the bathroom anyway?"
"I don't remember!" She grinned.
"Catherine Lorelai Mariano, go back to that bathroom and do not come back until your hands are clean and dry, got me?"
"Yes, mom."
Wrapping his arm around her waist from behind, Jess kissed his wife's neck as soon as the girl was out of the room again, smirking. "I like you when you're bossy."
"Then, if you like it so much, go clean out that table! And stop giving our daughter ideas in the future, you're both going to drive me crazy soon."
"I'll be good, I promise." He smirked, kissing her neck again.
"Go clean." She smiled, squeezing his hand before letting him go and walking to the bathroom to check up on their daughter. A few minutes later, Cate walked back into the room, picking up one of the photos from the floor and handing it to her father, who was trying to get them all into one pile.
"Here, dad."
"Mom sent you to help?"
"Nope." She shook her head and he smiled, leaning over and kissing the top of her head.
"Thanks."
Standing in the doorway again, watching them tidy up, Rory smiled before joining them, a massive smile on her face.
"I love both of you five year olds."
Rolling her eyes again, the little girl lifted her fingers. "And 4 months, mom!"