*A few months later*

Rory had been wondered her whole life what having a mother would be like. Finding Lorelai had been the best thing to happen to her, but her mother waking her up at exactly 4:03 in the morning had not been something she'd expected. Rory had felt the bed sink down, and had opened her eyes to see Lorelai climbing in beside her.

"Hey birthday girl." Lorelai smiles, kissing Rory on the forehead. Rory gives a tired smile and moves over for her mother. Lorelai snuggle her daughter as Rory places her head on her shoulder.

"It's early." Rory whispers.

"Do you know why I'm here so early?" Lorelai asks her baby. Rory shakes her head against Lorelai. "Well, at this time exactly eleven years ago, I was in this exact position, but with a swollen belly and ankles. Rory, this is the time you came into the world."

"Really?" Rory asks, sounding a bit more awake, but still tired. "Wow."

"What do you think of your life so far?" Lorelai asks.

"It's pretty great now." Rory smiles. Lorelai smiles back and kisses Rory's head again.

"Ya know what I think? I think you're a pretty spectacular kid, and the best friend a girl could have." Lorelai tells her daughter. "I love you Rory, and I promise I will never miss another one of your birthdays."

"I love you too mom, but do you have to wake me up this early for the rest of birthdays?" Lorelai chuckles.

"Well, of course I do."

Luke wakes up a few hours later. He'd felt Lorelai leave the room, and knew she was going to her daughter. He pops his head in Rory's room to see the pair still sound asleep in Rory's twin bed. He leaves them a note, telling them to come to the diner for a special birthday breakfast. He wanted to give Rory and Lorelai the day together. He knew how hard this day used to be for Lorelai. Now that she had Rory back, he knew she'd want to spend the day spoiling her daughter to no end.

Around nine, Rory and Lorelai finally wake up. After getting Luke's not they hurry to get ready. Lorelai had a whole day planned for them, and she was thankful that Luke had been so understanding. He had helped Lorelai plan the whole day.

"Oh, Luke!" Lorelai calls when she and Rory enter the diner.

"Hey!" Luke grins, coming to greet them. He kisses Lorelai briefly and then pulls his daughter into a tight embrace. "Happy birthday, sweetheart!"

"Thanks, dad." Rory grins.

"What do you guys want for breakfast? The usual?" Luke asks. The two nod and Luke goes to put in their order. He returns moments later with their drinks.

"Wait!" Rory calls when Luke starts to walk away. "Aren't you eating with us?"

"Well, I think today is for you and your mom I'll see you at-" Lorelai cuts him off.

"Don't be silly, Luke. Join us." Lorelai assures.

Luke smiles and sits down with his favorite girls. He was glad they'd invited him to join. He didn't want to intrude, but he also wanted to see Rory. It was his first birthday with her as well. Luke couldn't imagine his life without his daughter now.

"So, how has your day been so far?" Luke asks the now eleven year old.

"Pretty good, aside from my crazy mother waking me up before the sun." Rory giggles. "But, I'm glad to be with you guys. This has been the best birthday yet and it's not even noon."

"It's just going to keep getting better." Lorelai informs. "First we're gonna go shopping and pick you out a birthday gift, then we're going to come home and watch a whole slew of musicals. And then we're going to come back here for your first ever kid birthday party, because those parties your grandparents threw you so don't count."

"Will there be a pinata?" Rory asks hopefully.

"Full of tons of stuff that will rot your teeth." Luke replies. Rory laughs again.

"This will be the best day ever!" Rory exclaims.

As promised, Rory and Lorelai shopped for hours. Rory had despised going shopping with Emily. It was always a task, and they never had fun. With her mother, however, Rory discovered anything could be fun, especially shopping. They walked the mall for hours, and Rory never grew bored. The laughed, and giggled, and tried on funny hats.

After finishing at the mall, and indulging on food court treats, the pair decide to head home. They had many films to catch Rory up. Just as the pair stand to leave, Rory spots her grandmother. As quickly as Rory tries to steer her mother away, she's are too late. Emily spots them.

"Rory!" Emily calls. Rory groans inside. "Rory!"

"Oh no." Lorelai sighs. "Think if we run we can make it to the door before she gets to us?"

Rory giggles. She knows her mother is mostly joking, but the offer is tempting. Rory really didn't want to run into her grandmother. It reminded the pre teen about all the time she'd been away from her mom, and it made the girl sad. She didn't want to be sad today.

"Hello." Emily smiles. "I know we haven't talked lately, I was giving you space, and then we went on a trip-"

"We're kind of in a hurry." Rory interrupts.

"Well, you have certainly been around your moth- never mind. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday." Emily says. "If you'd like we could go pick out a present for you."

"No thanks, like I said, mom and I are really busy today." Rory replies shortly.

"Oh, hello Lorelai." Emily suddenly feels rather nervous. Her daughter's baby bump was staring her right in the face. She was going to miss out on this baby's whole life. "How are you?"

"Fine." Lorelai says. "Rory, honey, let's go."

"Wait, can, do you think we could talk?" Emily asks hopefully. "Please, Lorelai, just...I just want to talk."

"Uhm, I'll see if I have an opening next week. I'll...I'll call you."

Rory looks at her mother in surprise. She couldn't believe Lorelai had just agreed to see Emily willingly. She knows Lorelai was probably just trying to get them out of there, but still. Rory wondered if her mother knew what she'd even said.

Rory doesn't mention Emily for the rest of the day. Lorelai doesn't bring it up, so Rory decides to just enjoy her day, and enjoy it she did. Lorelai and Rory spent hours in front of the television. Rory felt much more educated in the art of on screen singing and dancing by the time they left for the diner.

Luke had gone all out. There were balloons and streamers hung all over the establishment. The elephant pinata was hung in the middle of the room in all its glory. Luke's was packed with people of the town. Rory had won the hearts of so many.

"Happy birthday, Rory!" Lane exclaims, giving her best friend a tight squeeze.

Lorelai grins, watching her daughter enjoy the rest of her birthday. She ate cake, opened gifts, and celebrated like a real kid. Lorelai had never been so happy to see someone smile. Luke comes and puts his arm around his wife.

"When should we give her our last gift?" Luke asks. Lorelai smiles up at him.

"When we get home." She decides. He smiles and leans down to kiss her.

"Mom, dad, come see this!" Rory calls.

The pair separate and walk over to see the card Rory is holding. They share a happy look. They had given her a great birthday, just as they hoped.

When they get home, Luke and Lorelai pull out the last gift they had for Rory. She'd already received many gifts from her parents, so she was a little confused. Lorelai sets the box in her daughter's lap before going on to explain.

"Now, this isn't exactly for you." Lorelai begins. "But, dad and I thought maybe you'd like to know if you're having a sister or a brother."

"Really!?" Rory exclaims excitedly. "Yes, of course I do!"

"Open the box." Luke encourages.

Rory smiles and pulls of the large yellow bow. Not even the box gave the gender away. Rory pulls away the white tissue paper. Luke and Lorelai smiled at each other before looking back to see their daughter's reaction.

"Oh my gosh!" Rory pulls out the white onesie...with a pink tutu attached. In large pink letters read I love my big sister. "It's a girl!"

"It is." Lorelai smiles, seeing how pleased her oldest child was by this news. "You're having a sister."

"Poor dad, you're the only boy!" Rory giggles turning to face her father.

"It's okay, all my girls have me wrapped right around their finger." Luke admits. "And I'm sure this little one's big sister and mommy will teach her how to give me puppy eyes, and I'll agree to anything."

Rory smiles up at her dad. He was a big softy, and Rory knew her puppy eyes really could get her anything. Teaching her little sister would be a breeze.

"Do you have names picked out yet?" Rory asks her mom and dad.

"Not yet." Lorelai replies.

"And, we're open to suggestions." Luke adds. "We want you to help us pick out what we name your sister."

"I know lots of names from books!" Rory grins.

"Well, you think of some and let us know." Lorelai replies. "How about all of us pick three names, and we'll look over them together."

Two days later the family of three gathered in the kitchen with lists of names in their hands. It had been much harder than any of them thought to narrow the names down to three. Rory had simply picked two of her favorite book characters, and one special name Luke had gone with family names, and Lorelai the exact opposite. She attempted to pick names of none of her known relatives.

"Okay, Rory, you go first." Luke suggests.

"Well, I put a lot of thought into this." Rory begins. "And I have narrowed it down to Anne-with an E,-after Anne of Green Gables, Josephine from Little Women, which is the best book ever because dad gave it to me, and Victoria, because I think my sister should share a name with mommy."

"Those are all great names,Ror." Luke smiles. "Lorelai, would you like to go next?"

"Alright." The expectant mother replies with a smile. "I picked Annabelle, because I remember you saying it's your mother's name, Luke. I also picked Daisy, because I have always like the name, and lastly I chose Claire, I'm not sure why, I just thought it was pretty."

"Well," Luke smiles, "I also chose Annabelle, after my mother. I also picked Lillian after my father's sister and Victoria, because it's your middle name, I guess Rory and I think a like."

"Lots of good choices." Lorelai observes. "How do we pick?"

"What if we all wrote down our favorite first and middle name?" Rory suggests. "We'll go from there."

They all write down their answers and hand them to Rory. Rory reads them all and smiles to herself. Once she's finished looking she looks up at her awaiting parents.

"It's unanimous." Rory tells them. "My sister's name is Annabelle Victoria."

They had spent a few days in happiness before Lorelai realizes she had never called her mother. She didn't really care, but she felt a little bad. Her mother looked so sad in the mall, and even if she didn't deserve it, Lorelai felt pity for the woman who had raised her. Lorelai decides she better just get it over with and sets a meeting with her mother for lunch.

"Lorelai, thanks for meeting me." Emily smiles when she walks in. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling alright." Lorelai replies sitting down. "A little tired, but I guess that's all apart of this."

"Well, you're over halfway there." Emily comments.

"Look, uhm, I just, why did you want to meet?" Lorelai has to ask. "It's been months, and I'd understand if it was Rory, but you asked to meet me."

"Lorelai, you are my daughter, and I know I have made many mistakes, but...I want another chance." Emily says softly. "Please, Lorelai."

"I...I don't know if I can." Lorelai whispers.

"Why not?" Emily asks. "Tell me, and maybe we can fix it!"

"I...sometimes I have dreams….about the baby. I'm holding her, and then….you come and take her away from me." Lorelai replies tearfully. "Just like you did with Rory."

Emily looks at her daughter's broken face, and realizes the damage she's done. The things she did she could never make up for. The thought hits her like a ton of bricks. She had caused her daughter so much heartache.

"Oh, Lorelai." Emily gasps. "I can never apologize enough, but I...I want to redeem myself to you. We can do it your way, but please just give me a chance to try."

"O...okay." Lorelai cries. "But you have to be nicer to Luke too. I love him, and he is a very good man and father."

"I will." Emily agrees quickly.

"We...uhm...we name the baby." Lorelai replies. "Our daughter, her name is Annabelle Victoria, but we're going to call her Annie. Annabelle was Luke's mother and when Luke asked Rory if she wanted him to be her father she asked him if it would be like in Annie."

"That's a beautiful name." Emily smiles. She reaches and takes her daughter's hand. "Thank you Lorelai.

Lorelai nods, hoping her mother wouldn't disappoint her again.

A/N So, I decided to give Emily a heart. Not sure if it will last, but we shall see. Also I hope you guys enjoyed this and the baby name! It won't be long until we meet Baby Danes :) -Kaila