When Rory woke up in the morning, she noticed that her mom had already gotten up. Slowly she turned around in the bed.
I slept a lot better, than I thought I would. What time is it?
Rory blinked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 12.45p.m.
"Oh, my God!": Rory jumped out of bed, put on her slippers and rushed downstairs, where she found her mom sitting at the table, doing paperwork for the Inn.
"Why did you not wake me up? I would have had to go to school.": Rory said when she entered the kitchen.
Lorelai looked up and smiled at her:" Well, good morning to you to. I figured you needed your sleep since it was almost three o clock last night until you fell asleep. And don't worry about your perfect attendance, freak, I called the school and told them you were sick. But I will also give you a note for the teacher on Monday if it makes you feel better."
"But Mom, I can't miss school. Not now, I need to graduate.": Rory said as she sat down at the table.
"Honey, you needed your sleep, and you need to give yourself some time now, ok. Stressing yourself out is no good. And by the way no one can take that diploma away from you anymore now. The ceremony is in 2 weeks and you have all the requirements to graduate."
"I guess you are right."
"In that case yes. And now we need to get some food into you. You need your strength. I went to Luke early this morning and since I did not know what you would be in the mood for, or what you would actually be able to keep down, I got one of everything."
Lorelai started preparing the breakfast.
"Was he there?": Rory asked without looking up.
Lorelai turned around and looked at her daughter:"He was'nt. But it was early so he might still have been in bed. I am sure if you go to Luke's later on he will be there." She gave Rory a reassuring smile, since she knew how hard it was being a teenager and having to work up the courage to tell your boyfriend that he got you pregnant.
"I am really not hungry, Mom. I think I just take a cup of coffee and then I am going to take a walk and on my way back I will see if he is back from school.": Rory said.
"No no no, coffee is off limits for you now, young lady. And you got to eat something even if it is not much. Eating regularly is essential during a pregnancy especially a teenage pregnancy."
She walked over to the counter and then put a glass of orange juice in front of Rory: "Now, would you rather have eggs and bacon or pancakes?"
Rory sighed: "Well if I have to I'd chose eggs."
"Eggs it is." Lorelai put the scrambled eggs and the bacon on a plate, but as soon as she had put the plate in front of Rory, her expression changed and the color disappeared form her face.
"Or not.": she mumbled, put a hand in front of her mouth and ran of to the bathroom.
Lorelai watched her run off and said to the eggs and the bacon: "Well, I am sorry guys but I don't think you will be able to come back into the house for the next eight months at least."
She put the plate back on the counter and followed Rory. Cautiously she knocked on the bathroom door: "Can I come in, Sweets?"
"Yes.": Rory answered quietly form inside.
Lorelai slowly opened the door and peaked inside. Rory was sitting next to the toilet, her arms wrapped around her legs, tears running down her face.
Lorelai went to the sink, wet a facecloth and filled a glass with cold water. Then she knelt down next to Rory, offered her the water and put the wet cloth in the neck.
"You think you are gonna be sick again?"
"I don't know.": Rory whispered.
Suddenly Rory felt another wave of nausea coming up. She turned around to face the toilet and started throwing up.
Lorelai rubbed her back and held her hair back. Once Rory was done, Lorelai put the wet cloth back to her neck and wet another for her face.
Rory wiped her mouth and now she could not hold back the tears anymore. She buried her face in her mom's chest and started to sob.
As Lorelai heard the sobs subside, she quietly said: "You feeling any better? Rory just nodded. "Sweetie, what happened? You were fine when you came down into the kitchen, what caused the meltdown?"
It took Rory a couple of minutes to collect her thoughts but then she answered: "It just ... I don't know. When I got up everything that happened yesterday felt unreal as if it had been a dream. But when I suddenly started to feel nauseous and had to run to the bathroom, everything started coming back to me. The reality that it was not a bad dream but actually happening. I think that caused the meltdown."
"That feeling is completely natural, hon. I remember feeling like that myself. And at the beginning it is a hard thing to realize that the having a baby part is real, because nothing has changed yet, and when the morning sickness hits you realize that something is changed after all. As I said, give yourself some time. And if you feel a mood-swing or a meltdown coming, you know where to find me."
Rory smiled at her Mom: "Thanks Mom."
"You are very welcome. Now what do you think. Would a shower make you feel better? I always helped me, after you made me feel as if I would not be able to leave the bathroom the entire day."
"I think it would. And then I am gonna go and talk to Jess. I know you think I need to give myself some time, but I need to know where we stand and I think that'll help me handling the situation.": Rory said.
"Ok, if that is the way you want to do it, I have to accept it. Now you jump into the shower and I will prepare something to eat for you.": Lorelai said.
As she saw Rory taking a breath to say something, she interjected: "Now, I know what you want to say, but you need to get something into you stomach, especially before that talk you are facing. And I promise you it won't be eggs or bacon."
Rory smiled as her mother left the bathroom I seriously would not know what I'd do without her.
When Rory came into the kitchen after her shower, she found a note from her mom on the table:
Hon, I hope you are feeling better. I had to go to the Inn. Let me know how the talk went. Love ya.
Rory smiled to herself when she found a bowl of fruit salad and a stack of pancakes on the table as well. Next to the food Rory found another note:
I hope you will be able to eat that. I was always craving fruit when I was pregnant with you. If not, put it on the list on the fridge, Love mom.
When Rory had finished her breakfast, she put on her shoes and walked over to the diner.
Before she opened the door, she took a deep breath Come on you can do it. You have to grow up now. And you are gonna have to tell him sooner or later, there is no such thing as the perfect moment.
She pulled herself together and entered the diner.
"Hey Luke.": Rory said in a voice that sounded much more chipper than her mood actually was.
"Hey Rory.": Luke greeted her back. He was standing behind the counter counting receipt since the after lunch lull had kicked in just a few minutes ago.
Rory approached the counter, but did not sit down: "Is Jess home from school yet?"
Luke looked at her and said: "He is. He said they had had a half day even though I have trouble believing that. He is upstairs."
"Ok, would you mind if I go upstairs. I have to talk to him about something."
Luke shot her a look.
"Really just talk Luke. It is important, and I would appreciate you not bursting in every few minutes because we are really just talking.": Rory reassured him Not that any of that would matter now.
"All right."
Rory walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.
"Come in.": Jess answered from inside.
Rory opened the door and walked in. When Jess saw who it was, he sat up on the couch and stared at her.
"Hey."
"Hey, back.": Jess said.
There was definitely a tension in the room and neither of them knew how to act. The last few weeks since the party had been weird between them.
Rory sat down next to him: "Listen Jess, I need to know where we stand. And I think that is a justified question, because we both know the past few weeks were not great."
When did not say anything, she continued: "Listen something happened yesterday and I know that you are not Mr. Communicato but it is important that we are trying to solve this communication problem we have because, and I am not sure this is the best moment or the best way to tell you but I am just gonna do it before I talk myself out of saying it at all – I am pregnant!": Rory ranted on. Rory let out a sigh of relief, glad to finally have said it, and she looked expectantly at Jess.
Jess, though, just sat there. Rory thought she had seen him flinch, but other than that he did not react at all and the expression on his face was unreadable.
After what felt like eternity, Rory quietly said: "Jess? Did you hear what I just said?"
"I have go. I promised Luke to help out today.": Jess suddenly said, stood up and left the apartment, before Rory had the chance to respond.
When the door had closed, Rory just said there, unable to move, tears running down her face. She angrily wiped them away.
Stupid hormones. I can't believe it. I have imagines a hundred different ways how this would go, but that he would just leave without reacting at all did not even occur to me.
As Jess came downstairs, he grabbed a towel and started wiping the table even though they were spotless. That was what Luke saw him doing when Luke came out of the storage room.
"What are you doing?": Luke asked.
"What does it look like? I am wiping the tables." :Jess answered slightly annoyed.
"I meant what are you doing here. Rory went up to see you. That was about five minutes ago. She said she had something important to talk to you about. You can't possibly have finished you conversation already, because when it come to talking, she is little Lorelai – never stops."
"Well, Uncle Luke, we learn something new every day.": Jess replied trying to avoid Luke's stare. Indeed we do, and some of us learn that they are going to be a Daddy in nine months time
Luke watched his nephew intently. Something big is going on there.
That was when Rory appeared behind the curtain, her face tear strained. She crossed the diner witout looking at either of them and left in direction of her house. That was all Luke needed to react. He approached Jess and pulled him into the storage room by his arm.
"Come on. The two of us are going to have to have a talk."
"Will you let go of me."
Luke yelled: "Caesar you are in charge." and closed the door.
He turned Jess around and looked him straight into his eyes: "You need to tell me what happened up there just now. And I won't accept a "I don't want to talk about it" because you better suck it up and do talk about it. I have watched the two of you for past few weeks and something is definitely up. First of all you two spent way less time together than you used to and secondly I noticed that weird incident right before Fran's funeral. Rory walking past the diner without coming in, you walking to the door and back without going out. You tell me what is going on there."
Jess still avoided his uncles gaze and stayed quiet, so Luke continued talking:
"What is going on? I know that you don't care about anything. But I thought I cared about Rory. That girl is the best thing that has happened to you so far, so you better not screw it up. I swear to God if ..."
"She told me she was pregnant.": Jess said quietly but loud enough and Luke heard every syllable.
Luke stopped mid sentence:"What?"
"She said we needed to work out our communication problem, because yesterday she found out that she was pregnant.": Jess explained.
"I hope to God you are kidding.":Luke said even though he had a hard time even standing straight.
Jess just kept staring at Luke, and Luke interpreted it as his way of saying "I am not kidding".
"Jess, do you know what that means? I mean ... how could this even happen?
"If you are seriously asking me how this happened, we need to have a whole different discussion."
But Luke shot back at him: "This is not the time for your quips, Smart ass. I mean, Jess I didn't even know the two of you were that ... physical."
"Well ...": was the only thing Jess responded.
"Does Lorelai know?": Luke eventually asked.
"She didn't say, but I assume so."
"So what did you do that Rory started crying?":Luke asked.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore. I need some time by myself.":Jess said and went for the door.
"Jess!"
"Luke. Get off my back will you. I am sorry I made her cry, but first of all I heard that that is something women do when they are pregnant something to do with the hormones and second of all nobody ever told me how to react when your girlfriend tells you she is pregnant. I guess not saying anything at all wasn't the best of all the options I had to chose from, but I can't change that now, can I? Now, please I need some time." : and with that Jess left the storage room and the diner.
Luke sat down on one of the boxes and buried his head in his hands.
Jess had gone to the bridge.
Luke decided to give Jess an hour to himself before he followed him.
"Can I sit down?": Luke asked.
"It is a free country ..."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Luke started to talk: "Listen, I know you are not good at listening to adults or taking advice at all, but I think you are in a situation now where you need some, so please just listen to me."
Luke paused for a second to give Jess the chance o say something, but when he didn't Luke went on: "When you told me before, what Rory said to you ... believe me, the first thing I wanted to do was kill you, because I am sure Rory filled you in on her mom's and her history and you know what Rory getting pregnant as a teenager means. But what happened happened, so the reason I came here is to tell you that I am going to be there for you through it all. I am going to give you all the support and advice you want or need. I am not going to let you down and god knows you are going to need somebody now. But I swear to God Jess, if you disappear and abandon her the way your father abandoned you and the way Rory's father abandoned her, I am going to hunt you down and make you come back. And believe me, I am going to find you wherever you go."
Jess still did not say anything, but by the look on his face, Luke could tell that he appreciated everything he just said and that he accepted his help.
After a few minutes, Jess said with a terrified look on his face: "Lorelai is going to kill me."
Luke gave his nephew a small smile and only said: "Oh yes she will."
A\N I hope you like it!! Review please ... Another update is coming soon!!!
Thanks for all the awesome reviews so far. Makes it a lot more fun to write the story!!!!